


Glimpses

by dawnchsr



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-06
Updated: 2013-02-21
Packaged: 2017-11-28 09:04:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 66,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/672653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawnchsr/pseuds/dawnchsr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five-0 heads up the investigation into a serial shooter the media calls the "Honolulu Sniper." A lunatic with a high powered rifle, the "Honolulu Sniper" takes aim at the highways and commuters, successfully eluding Five-0 with each attack. Meanwhile, Danny struggles to cope in the wake of his brother's betrayal, doing his best to hide the wounds from his friends. He's fooling no one, least of all McGarrett. With his brother on the run, the FBI staking out his apartment and an explosive case that nearly gets him and Kono killed, the last thing Danny wants is a complicated relationship with his boss. Steve, of course, doesn't see it that way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, special thank yous to powrhug and creed cascade, who read this in parts and encouraged me to keep going. And especially to HCat, who hangs in with me on everything I write. I dragged her into this fandom and she's been more than a very good friend. (She also is responsible for the stellar beta job on this too.) 
> 
> This is actually the first Five-0 story I started and it was never supposed to become quite this epic. I started it before the last two episodes of first season aired. Then when they did, it blew everything out of the water character wise for me in regards to Danny. I shelved it, but came back to it, would shelve it again but finally decided to finish it. It's important to note, I wrote it the way I originally intended even after finding out that Jameson was in with Wo Fat and Danny was sleeping with Rachel. I also used some information from some deleted scenes that we got in the DVDs. 
> 
> This is written to take place directly after Ep 18- Loa Aloha.

There were raw edges. 

He worked hard to keep those to himself, refusing to let anyone see just how vulnerable he really was. See the real mess that was Danny Williams. He buried all of it with the snarkiness, the cheeky smiles and the hands always in motion. It served no purpose letting anyone know, least of all himself. He had Grace, that's what it was about in the end. 

Because the rest of it was at an end. His marriage, his career with the Newark PD, his life back in New Jersey. 

He didn't consider Hawaii a beginning, new or otherwise. It was definitely not home. It was a place holder for him while he stayed close to Grace. Everything was about Grace. And the job. Anything else would only lead back to those raw edges he couldn't escape. 

They ached the most when he brought her back to Rachel. He was all smiles and hugs and a final kiss as he always reminded Grace that no matter what, he loved her. She was perceptive for her age as she looked at him but she told him she loved him back before she would pull away and go to her mother. 

He had a hard time dealing with the empty spaces around him right after she left. He wasn't used to being alone. He'd been raised with a large family, everyone loud and pushy and there was hardly such a thing as privacy. What the hell was that? How many times did he walk in on his brother or sisters in the bathroom? They did the same to him, it was all part of the Williams insane family lifestyle. 

There were no shy Williams kids. 

Even when Danny moved out on his own, he was still part of a crowd of some sort. He still had family dinner on Sunday, Matty was always crashing at his apartment, there were his buddies in the NPD and the friends he grew up with. 

Danny didn't know how to be alone. 

Then there was Rachel and shortly after, Grace. And it never occurred to Danny that it could all change. 

Rachel took Grace to Hawaii. Danny didn't even think about it. He called in a few favors, got his captain to make a few calls and before he knew it, he had a job waiting for him with the Honolulu PD. There was no discussion. He told his mother he got one chance at Grace's life and he wasn't going to give it up. If it meant he went to Hawaii, well, so be it. 

But the loneliness when he got here almost crushed him. He had no one but for Grace. No friends, no family, no one he knew. And he was an instant outsider in a tight knit community that didn't look fondly upon mainlanders who came to stay.

He wasn't exactly welcomed by the HPD either, speaking around him as if he wasn't there in a language he couldn't begin to understand. But body language and looks told all the story Danny needed.

He was a _haole_ , a mainlander who would never belong. 

His life narrowed down to his time with Grace or his job. There was nothing else. He buried himself in the work because the alternative when he didn't have Grace wasn't something he could deal with. 

And there was the bitterness that couldn't be avoided between himself and Rachel. He wasn't going to go away, not so long as there was Grace. This is where he landed; this is what had been handed to him and he didn't care. It all washed away when he gathered that little girl in his arms and she smiled at him, her laughter easing all of it. 

No regrets, he reminded himself. She was totally worth it. 

Then Steve McGarrett crashed into his life like a hurricane with less warning. 

There had been a great deal of grumbling behind Danny's back about his being handed the John McGarrett murder, most of which he heard but ignored. He didn't ask for it, his captain assigned the case to him. He told Danny he still had fresh eyes and a different way of looking at things. He wanted that for the investigation, wanted Danny to do it his way. 

It got him more than he could possibly bargain for. The next thing he knew he was on the governor's fancy new task force with a rookie who once surfed professionally and a disgraced cop from HPD disliked even more than Danny was. 

Oh, and the uptight Navy SEAL who like to throw himself into the middle of anything, consequences be damned. And that was only one of a multitude of issues the guy came packaged with. 

Somehow they became a tight group fast, Danny surprised at the way Kono and Chin accepted him as if he'd always been part of their lives. He'd been six months at HPD and no one made any effort to offer any sort of friendship. A couple of weeks with Kono and Chin and he found himself smiling without Grace being his sole reason for it. 

He found in Steve what he never had, not even back in New Jersey. A fierce and unwavering loyalty. An understanding that was unspoken about what Danny left behind and what Steve had lost. It made them somehow kindred, both of them broken in different ways, but still broken nonetheless. 

Danny found he could bitch and bitch loudly at Steve and Steve took it in stride. Hell, there were times the guy purposely pushed Danny's buttons and Danny knew it. But under that was a friendship that Danny took carefully and cherished for what it was. 

He didn't know it at the time, but he'd been drowning when Steve showed up in his life. He could look back at it now and know it. Know that he was dangerously close to falling into something stupid because he was in that much pain. Steve gave him that outlet he so desperately needed in the simple form of friendship. 

Danny was able to bury the worst of those raw edges. They weren't gone, but they weren't tearing him apart into tiny little pieces every day either. 

There was something else going on as well, something on another level. It had started out tentative but was becoming hard to ignore. At first Danny didn't even realize it until someone asked how long they'd been married. More than once. Looking at it now, Danny realized that Steve had been throwing a lot of signals that he'd been oblivious to. Mixed, but still… 

It wasn't like Danny hadn't noticed or appreciated the man that was Steve McGarrett. Danny may have put his sex drive in neutral but that didn't mean he didn't see McGarrett. He wasn't dead, after all. Christ, with the way the guy stripped his shirt off at the drop of a hat, it was hard not to notice. 

There was still a part of Danny that took a lot of interest in the spectacle. 

Setting aside the fact that the man was his boss, his partner, his co-worker in what was a very small and tight knit team, Danny simply wasn't ready. He could appreciate the dish on the menu, even indulge in the occasional fantasy if he wanted, but it went no further. He still hurt from the mess that was his failed marriage. Hurt deeply. And he wasn't ready to trust either. 

And Danny had to have that because above all else, he didn't do casual. He wasn't looking for a hook up, a couple of nights, or a go at it in the utility closet. 

Add to that Steve's on and off relationship with Catherine. Kono called her Steve's "booty call" and Danny wasn't sure he didn't disagree. But it sat at odds with him that Steve could be flirting, outrageously at that with Danny one moment, then getting laid that night with a woman. It had Danny wondering if Steve even realized he was doing it. It certainly was unsettling at times, especially in front of Chin and Kono. 

He came to the conclusion that McGarrett was in the closet and maybe not even fully aware of it. Being Steve was military, Danny could understand where it came from. Even given that, Danny didn't have the patience to help his friend understand what the hell he was doing. 

And patience would be needed because for all the mixed signals his partner tossed at him, Danny was pretty sure Steve wasn't ready to handle a full blown gay relationship and all it entailed. And Danny wasn't about to share anyone's closet. 

He wasn't sure his life could get anymore turned upside down than it already was. 

And just when he felt like he was getting his footing, starting to really accept that this was his life, at least for the time being, his brother Matt upended it all. 

Then Danny knew what it really meant to have his world turned inside out. 

*** 

When Matty left, Danny found he had two choices to run to. Rachel or Steve. 

Rachel knew about the raw wounds, had always seen the vulnerability in his eyes because she _knew_ him. They had been married after all. 

Steve, on the other hand, that was different. Danny had come dangerously close a couple of times, almost let Steve see just how fragile he was despite all his bluster. Had come close but somehow Danny managed to rein it back in. 

So it was Rachel Danny had gone to. Rachel who understood when she found him on her doorstep, her dark hair sleep tousled. She didn't push him away but gathered him close and he clung to what he knew because he didn't know what else to do. 

But she wasn't his anymore and he accepted that. Now Matty was gone and Danny knew that as well. And although Rachel offered for him to come in, to sit and talk, Danny pulled away. He didn't belong here in the expensive house and the world she had chosen when she walked away from him in the first place. 

He left, with nowhere to go, no idea what to do next. How to reconcile what had happened over the last twenty four hours. 

Thank god it was the weekend. He didn't have to face anyone when daylight painted across the skies. He locked his door and drew the curtains and face planted on the thin mattress of the sleeper sofa, pulling a pillow over his head. 

***

A pounding on the door had him rolling over, confused and sprawling, looking around him. The clock told him it was almost two. In the afternoon. 

"Damn it, Danny, it's Steve! I know you're in there!" Steve thumped the door hard. 

Sitting on the bed, Danny pushed his hands through the wreck that was his hair. He still wore his clothes from yesterday. 

"Danny, you gonna talk to me about this?" 

_No, McGarrett, I'm not. Go away. Please._

Danny climbed off the sofa bed and went into his bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him and turned the shower on. 

***

Steve was sorely tempted to pick the lock on Danny's apartment door. He didn't like the other man shutting him out. But the last thing he wanted to do was push boundaries where he might not be welcomed, at least not yet. And as much as Steve wanted to tear the door down and get in Danny's face and make him understand that he had people who cared and who understood, he knew Danny had a right to be left alone if that's what he wanted. 

Steve could respect that. He didn't have to like it, but he could respect that right. 

With a final glance at the door, Steve walked back to his truck and climbed in. He didn't start the engine though, instead sitting there, one hand on the steering wheel, fingers tapping restlessly as he stared at the door to his partner's apartment. At this time of day, it was shaded on this side of the complex, casting long shadows over the asphalt. Steve had the windows down, a soft breeze bringing a mix of scents. 

His cell phone rang and he fished it out of his pants pocket, glancing at the caller ID. It was Rachel and Steve didn't know what to tell her. He almost let it go to voice mail but instead decided to answer it. 

"Rachel, he's at his apartment but he's not talking to anyone. Not now anyway. I think we just need to give him the space. He'll come around when he's ready."

_"All right, if you think that's the best way to handle it."_

It wasn't at all the way he wanted to handle it, but for now, it would have to do.

"I'll let you know when I hear from him, okay?" 

He could hear the reluctance in Rachel's voice but she agreed. She'd have Grace call her father later to say hello, surely Danny would pick up for his daughter. Steve agreed then hung up, there wasn't anything else to add. With a final look across the parking lot, Steve shook his head and started his truck. 

***

The rest of the weekend Danny kept to himself, which was unusual. Lately, if he didn’t have Grace, Steve had taken to inviting him on various little outings. Like a ride in the Mercury that ended up being an exercise in pushing the damn thing up the Pali Highway for a few miles. But not all their excursions went awry and Danny found himself seeing the island and Honolulu from Steve’s perspective— one who was born and raised there. 

And for all the outward bitching Danny did about it, inside he was relieved not to be home alone in that miserable little apartment with nothing to do but watch TV or read. He enjoyed Steve’s company, on or off the job. And if Steve somehow understood that Danny hated being alone, well, that was okay. If he did, he was smart enough not to say so. 

But this weekend Danny wanted nothing but to be left alone. He needed to screw his head on straight about his brother and had no idea how he was going to do that. He could show up on Steve’s doorstep and the man wouldn’t bat an eyelash, instead handing him a beer. He’d wait Danny out, let Danny spill all over him about what happened at the airport and be what Danny needed. But Danny didn’t know what it was he needed and he was much too raw to let anyone see him like this. He didn’t want Steve to see more than he already did. 

When Monday morning came, Danny rolled over and glanced at the alarm clock, turning it off. He wasn’t ready to face them. They’d understand, they’d give him the room he needed in their own ways but he wasn’t ready. He sat up, holding his head in his hands, feeling worn and empty. 

After a few minutes, he grabbed his cell phone and dialed Steve’s. He took the chance that Steve would be out swimming as he normally did before coming into the office. Danny was relieved when he got Steve’s voicemail and left a message saying he needed to pull a vacation day to take care of a few things. He’d be in tomorrow. 

He tossed the cell phone on the bed beside him, before lying back down and burying his head under the pillow. He’d deal with McGarrett and the rest of the world tomorrow.

***

Steve came into headquarters to find Chin and Kono discussing something as they stood to either side of the surface table. But no Danny. A quick glance showed Danny’s office was empty. Frowning, Steve walked up to the table. “Danny speak to either of you two?”

“This morning?” Chin slid Kono a puzzled glance but she shook her head. 

“No, not since Friday. Everything okay, Boss?” Kono pushed her long hair back from her face as she stood up straight. Both she and Chin looked at him. 

Steve didn’t answer right away, fishing his cell phone out of one of his many pants pockets. He was about to call Danny when he saw he had a voice mail. How the hell had he missed that? 

The cousins exchanged another curious look as Steve listened. “This isn’t the way to handle this, Danny,” he muttered under his breath before shoving the cell phone back in a pocket. “Danny’s taking the day off. He said he’ll be in tomorrow.”

“Okay, so now I’ll ask— is everything okay with Danny?” Chin crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Things didn’t go very well with his brother.”

“So we gathered. You did see him this weekend, right, to talk it out?” Chin paused, waiting for Steve to say something. “Didn’t you?”

“He wanted to be left alone and I respected that. So should you two, so let’s just leave it at that.” 

“Danny Williams? _Our_ Danny? Are you kidding? And since when have you ever thought he needed to be left alone? You’ve been crowding him since the two of you first met and clashed.” Chin shook his head.

“Excuse me?” 

“Just saying, brah, it’s not like Danny to shut himself away from us. And it’s not like you to let him get away with it.” 

Steve just stared at them, at a loss as to what to say. Or to what Chin might or might not be implying. 

“This is different and he wants to handle it his way. He knows where we are and if and when he wants our help, I’m sure we’ll all know about it.” 

“Sure, Boss, whatever you say.” Kono absently played with the thin silver chain around her slender neck, her eyes dark with her concern. 

Sighing, Steve waved his hand over the table which had a lot of information on it. “What’s this about?”

“We’ve been asked to help out HPD with this.” Chin tapped and then slid his hand, tossing files and news articles up onto the wide screen monitors for all of them to see. “There’s been someone taking shots at vehicles off and on for the last few weeks. No one has been seriously hurt yet, just mostly damage to vehicles.”

“Is this what the press is so quaintly calling the Honolulu Sniper?” Steve studied the photos of the vehicles shot up. Windshields and windows shot out, bullet holes punched through the metal, a few tires hit and blown out. “They think they have one guy doing this or more?”

“Right now, no one is entirely sure, but from what we’ve gotten so far, it looks like one guy, likely from a roof, having his way.” Chin moved another set of pictures up, Steve narrowing his eyes. 

“Any pedestrians hurt?”

“Not so far.” Kono tapped a few keys and then slid her data up. It was a listing of dates and times and how many vehicles hit with each attack. “There doesn’t appear to be any specific make or model he’s going after, not even a color. And the attacks have happened all at different times of the day, but always when it’s very busy. Either here in downtown or out at Waikiki. And always on the H1 or Ala Moana Boulevard.

“No one seriously hurt yet?”

“Some cuts from flying glass, some scrapes and bruises from one incident where one car rear ended a truck after both had been shot at.” Chin pushed the info up. “But other than that, no. No one shot yet, no one killed."

Steve let the information sink in for a few minutes. “My first sense is that it’s someone military. Or possibly former law enforcement.” 

“That’s a broad pool to pull upon.” Chin acknowledged. 

“Okay, let’s start with this. Put together a map that lays out the attacks, showing the date and time at each location. Then let’s see what’s in the area. If he’s sniping from the roofs somewhere, lets try to figure out which ones and maybe we can find something he left behind.”

“Give me a few minutes and I’ll have it for you.” Chin was already inputting the parameters, his fingers sliding over the glossy surface of the table.

“Kono, I need you to find out if we’ve got any law enforcement with these skills that either left or were let go recently. Concentrate on SWAT and anti-terrorist, units that have highly skilled sharp shooters.” 

“Got it.” 

“Also, any former military or law enforcement recently released from prison with a background of sniper or sharp shooter.”

“I’ll get right on it.” She left to start the searches on her own computer in her office. 

“Here is the layout you asked for.” Chin pushed the map of Honolulu up.

Steve walked closer, crossing his arms as he noted the locations and dates. “I don’t think whoever this is will keep it at property damage. It’s only a matter of time before he kills someone and it won’t be by accident.” He pointed at the last three most recent dates. “He’s escalating, too. The times between becoming shorter as he gets bolder.” Steve turned from the screens, meeting Chin’s quiet gaze. “We need to find this guy before someone does get killed.”

“You think it’s someone military, don’t you?” Chin leaned one hand on the table as Steve glanced back over his shoulder at him. 

“Yeah, I do, which I hate. But this isn’t just anyone with a rifle and scope. This is skill, highly trained skill. No one’s dead yet because he’s wanted it that way.”


	2. Chapter 2

Danny came in a little earlier than he normally did, hoping to beat at least McGarrett into the office. He found Chin already there, flipping through something on the surface table. Chin, who was by far the quietest of them all, glanced up when Danny pushed open the glass door, coffee in one hand. 

“Hey, brah, good to see you in this morning.” He offered Danny a genuine smile. “Steve catch you up on our latest case last night?”

Danny walked up to the table, shaking his head. “I didn’t speak to McGarrett at all yesterday. What’d we get?”

Chin gave him a measuring look with a raised eyebrow, dark eyes narrowing. “Everything okay?” 

“McGarrett say something?”

“No, only that you needed yesterday off.”

Danny nodded, pulling the ragged edges tighter. “I just had to take care of some things, that’s all. Everything’s fine.” As understanding as Chin would be, Danny wasn’t ready to speak to him or anyone else about what the hell was going on. He barely had a lid on it and it was tenuous at best. That they apparently caught a case yesterday was a good thing. It would have them focusing on that and not what the hell was going on with him. 

“I just assumed Steve would touch base with you, let you know what we had.”

“We aren’t in each other’s pockets, Chin. He’s got a life and as pathetic as mine is when I don’t have Grace, I do too.” Danny didn’t bother to hide his annoyance. 

Chin held up his hands in a placating gesture, shaking his head. “I wasn’t trying to pry, Danny.”

“Let’s just leave it, okay? I’m fine. Steve, I’m sure, was out chasing a skirt of some sort last night. Or getting it on with Catherine.” Danny tapped the surface table with one finger. “So what’d I miss?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Danny listened as Chin caught him up on the sniper who’d created no small amount of havoc here in the city and Waikiki. Danny vaguely remembered the HPD bulletins as well as the newspaper reports. 

“So far, this nut job hasn’t killed anyone?”

“Not yet, but Steve thinks he will, it’s only a matter of time.”

“We figure out where his perches are from these attacks?” Danny studied the locations. There were office buildings and hotels around each of the attacks. 

“HPD hasn’t been able to figure out where he’s set up. They’ve been checking roof tops of anything higher than three floors but if he’s been there, he’s not leaving anything behind to indicate it.” Chin tapped the map of downtown Honolulu, bringing up the block where the latest attack happened. He pushed it to the center monitor then walked up to it. “There are no less than seven hotels here and four office buildings. The rooftops of all of them were searched but the guy’s like a ghost.”

“Well he’s taking shots from somewhere.” Danny chewed his bottom lip for a moment before waving one hand in Chin’s direction. “Have we pulled the guest lists of all the corresponding hotels at the times of the shootings?” 

“No, but that’s not a bad idea.” Chin went back to the table and started typing. “Steve thinks whoever this is, he’s former military. Possibly former law enforcement so Kono compiled a list of names based on that. We started to check them out yesterday, but it’s a lengthy list.” 

“Can’t hurt to run that list against the hotel registries and see if we get any matches but I’m thinking that’s a long shot. This guy’s not stupid, I doubt he’s gonna use his real name if he is, indeed, checking into any of these hotels.” Danny turned back to Chin. “Let’s pull all the employee records as well, run Kono’s list against that. It can’t hurt.”

“I can do that.” Chin nodded, still tapping away. “This will take me a while to set up.”

Danny was about to say that he had some stuff to catch up on in his office when Steve and Kono arrived. Steve held the door open for Kono, who gave him a quick smile that broadened when she saw Danny there. 

“Hey, you’re back!” She came right up to him, eyes bright, her beautiful hair spilling around her shoulders. She must have been surfing before coming in, which she often did as Danny could see the straps of her bikini under her shirt hanging low and loose on her shoulders. Today’s appeared be a bright blue. She also wore the necklace he’d given her. 

Danny gave her a quick smile. “Here I am.” 

She laid her hand on his arm, meeting his gaze. “We missed you yesterday.” 

Danny stood captured in her intensity for a long moment before gently pulling away. “I sincerely doubt any of you guys missed my bitching.” 

“I think I speak for everyone when I say that it was way too damn quiet here, Danno.” Steve nodded to him. He then indicated his office with a shrug of his shoulder. 

***

Steve leaned back against the front of his desk, resting his hands to either side of him. He watched as Danny came in, edgy and restless. The man was always in motion, his energy barely contained but this was different and Steve had no problem picking up on the change in his partner’s body’s language. Steve wasn’t exactly sure what to call it but he knew Danny and this was not the same man. 

“So what happened?” Steve tried to catch Danny’s gaze but the other man refused to look directly at him for more than a few brief seconds. 

“So what happened what?” Danny waved a hand in his direction but focused his attention outside the office. 

“Don’t do this, Danny. Don’t shut me out. I was there, remember? I lied to the Feds for you, and I’d do it again, that’s not the point.” Danny turned back to him, arms crossed over his chest, tension wrapped around him as he met Steve’s eyes. Steve saw misery and guilt before Danny looked away. 

“Nothing happened, Steven. I didn’t get there in time. Matty was gone, I was too late.”

“I’m sorry, Danny, really I am.” Steve pushed up off his desk and watched as Danny shifted and moved to keep distance between them. 

“So am I. He made his decision and I’ve got to live with it.” Danny shook his head and drew in a sharp breath. “It’s done, okay, Steve? Let’s leave it there.”

Steve just stared at him for a long moment. “You don’t want to talk about this?”

“No, Steven, I don’t.” Danny’s voice turned sharp as he finally looked at Steve without glancing away. “I’m done with this, done with my brother.”

“Danny, it’s not that simple-“

“Enough, Steve! I appreciate what you did but enough! We’ve got a sniper, Chin’s filled me in, so let’s focus on that and not on something that is done and over with and can’t be changed!” Danny waved both hands in the air. “Can we do that?”

Steve didn’t like what was going on, that Danny was shutting it away, refusing to deal with it. It was like he couldn’t trust Steve with what was clearly tearing him apart even if Danny thought he was hiding it. Okay, Steve didn’t have to like it but maybe giving Danny a little room was the best course of action for the time being. But Steve would be damned if he didn’t eventually get Danny to open up to him. 

“Kono’s compiled a list of former military and law enforcement. We are working our way through them, checking alibis. Right now it’s the best we have to work with.”

“Fine. I’ll take part of the list and Kono can ride with me.” Danny didn’t wait for Steve’s reply or approval, instead turning his back on him and pushing through the door back into the main office. 

***

Danny had Kono pull those names that were former law enforcement. He wanted to focus there and let Steve handle the military since he’d obviously be a better choice. And since Chin was so disliked by HPD, it made more sense for him to go with Steve. 

It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Danny didn’t want to be trapped in the car with Steve, he reasoned. Just because he knew Steve wouldn’t leave off about what had happened didn’t figure into Danny’s quick decision to partner with Kono instead. 

He’d keep telling himself that. 

Thankfully, Kono kept her own council as she rode with Danny. He didn’t miss the careful glances she slid his way, but if she had something to say, she kept it to herself. And she wasn’t somebody who felt the need to fill in silences, letting Danny brood in peace as they crossed off the first two names on the list as having solid alibis. 

They were now on their way to the next one, a retired SWAT marksman who took his out when he reached twenty years. According to the information they had, he was much like Danny in that he transferred to the island from the mainland. 

“He’s married, has two kids and works as a part time security consultant.” Kono read the info displayed on her cell phone. “He’s highly decorated, both here and from his time with the Baltimore PD.” 

Danny waited for the light to change. “We’ll talk to him so that we can cross him off the list, but I already have a feel that it’s not him.” The light turned green and Danny turned left onto Ala Moana Boulevard. It was busy with the mid morning traffic. 

“When do you get Grace again?” Kono turned off her cell phone and slipped it into her hip pocket. 

Danny gave her a curious glance before switching lanes on the crowded highway. “I have her on Saturday. Why?”

“She’s into dolphins right now, isn’t she?”

“Uh huh,” Danny muttered a curse when a minivan swung out in front of him, cutting him off. “Why?”

“There is a place up at the North Shore on Kamehameha Highway—a pull off that only the locals know about. It’s got a fantastic view and you can see for miles over the ocean. And it’s perfect for whale and dolphin spotting. I thought you could maybe take Grace. Pack a lunch and make an afternoon of it. If you think she’d like something like that.” 

Danny started to answer when the right rear tire of the minivan blew out, sending it swerving. In the next moment the Camaro's windshield exploded, glass flying everywhere. Kono cried out in surprise as Danny hit the brakes and yanked the steering wheel around. Thanks to his training and skill he avoided slamming into the now out of control minivan by bare inches. 

They spun to a stop in the middle of the busy highway just as the minivan flipped and slid across the asphalt with a shower of sparks before crashing into the guard rail. Several other vehicles skidded and spun around, some crashing into others as Danny grabbed Kono and shoved her down, more gun shots ringing out. 

“Get down, get down, get down!” Danny shouted, covering her shoulders and head with his own body, pressing them both as far down below the dash as he could. 

The glass from the passenger side widow blew out, both of them flinching as it exploded over them. 

“Oh my god, Danny!”

“Keep your head down! Are you okay?” Another pair of shots rang out. 

“Yes! Danny, what the hell—" They heard the screech and impact of vehicles colliding somewhere behind them. 

Danny could hear shouting and crying, the panic of people screaming for help. “Kono, call it in! Tell them we’re pinned down and that we’ve got injured, possibly fatalities!” Danny carefully peered over the dash to try and get a better handle on how bad the situation was. 

“This is Officer Kalakaua- Five-0, shots fired— requesting immediate assistance at Ala Moana Boulevard just north of Piikoi Street!"

The minivan sat several yards in front of them. Danny had a clear view inside despite the ruined windshield. The driver, a young woman, was either dead or unconscious, Danny unable to tell. He could hear the frightened wailing of at least two small children that must be trapped inside. 

“Kono, stay down, okay?” He pushed his door open, being careful to keep his head down. 

“Danny, what the hell are you doing?”

“I need to get over to that van!” He crouched behind the open door, his back pressed against it as he gauged his chances to make it the short distance to the other vehicle. 

***

“Steve! You need to see this!” Chin snapped after shoving Steve’s office door open. He didn’t wait for Steve’s reply as he dashed back to the surface table and tapped several keys rapidly. Steve joined him in time to see the local news flash up on the main monitor. 

It was an aerial shot from what was likely the local news station helicopter, showing traffic stopped and scattered at a section of Ala Moana Boulevard. Several cars had hit others and a minivan was flipped on its side up against the guard rail. 

_We are live above Ala Moana Boulevard where the Honolulu Sniper is currently somewhere in the vicinity… Reports of shots still being fired…_

“Oh my god, is that Danny?” Chin went right up to the monitor. “And Kono?”

Steve froze as he stared, his mouth going dry when he recognized Danny’s car. And Danny climbing up on top of the overturned van, Kono right behind him. He watched in horror as both ducked, Danny pinning himself as flat to the vehicle as possible when a shot took out the passenger side mirror. 

“Chin, let’s go!”

***

Danny somehow managed to get between the van and the guard rail, using the vehicle for cover. The van lay overturned on the driver’s side, the woman unmoving inside. Blood covered her face but Danny couldn’t do anything more than look at her through the windshield. He couldn’t tell if she was breathing or not. Inside, the two young kids screamed in terror. 

Climbing up on the guard rail, Danny pulled himself up onto the top of the overturned vehicle. He reached for the handle of the sliding door only to duck and swear when the sniper took out the passenger side mirror. He flattened himself against the hot metal, the late morning sun reflecting off of everything and blinding him. 

He could hear sirens in the distance and glanced up at what he assumed was a traffic copter as it danced around like a crazed dragonfly in the crystal clear sky above them. “You’d do us a helluva lot more good if you bastards spotted what roof that asshole is shooting from!” Danny muttered. Still keeping as flat as he could, he grabbed the handle to the van’s sliding door with one hand and yanked it open. 

It would only slide part of the way back. Danny peered inside to find two very young kids staring back at him with pure terror in their eyes. A boy and girl, both much younger than Grace and still strapped into their car seats. 

Danny gave them a quick reassuring smile. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay…” He coaxed, sliding forward enough to lean inside. “I’m a police officer, gonna get you outta here, okay?” 

The boy was the closest to him, Danny estimating him to be all of maybe three. He had the classic Polynesian features with the huge dark brown eyes, dusky skin and straight black hair. Danny quickly guessed this was a local family and not some poor tourists caught up in the recent fun. His sister, who was maybe a year younger, was a pretty little thing despite the tear streaked face. 

They'd both stopped screaming, their attention instead riveted on him, the little girl hiccupping. 

Danny kept talking softly as he tugged at the straps, trying to release the harness so he could get the boy out. “Damn it, I need a knife!”

“Here!” Kono reached down next to him, holding out a pocket knife. 

“What the hell are you doing with that? And I thought I told you to stay put back in the car!” 

“You’re gonna pick now to argue with me?” Kono glared at him. “And what, cops don’t carry a damned pocket knife in New Jersey?”

“Is there some reason we should?” Danny turned his attention back to the child and sawed through the safety belt with the blade. It took him a few minutes, the sun beating down on him as the sirens drew closer. The boy reached out, tangling his fingers in Danny's hair and Danny tossed him a quick smile. "Hey there, tiger, just hang on. I'll have you out in a second." He shot a quick glance over his shoulder at Kono. “Has that lunatic taken any more shots?”

“No, but I’m not sure he still isn’t lining one of us up in his sights.” 

"That's what I love about you, Kono. You're a glass half full kinda girl."

Danny pulled the toddler free and handed him up and over to Kono. “Take him and get to cover! I’ve got to get inside in order to get to the other one and check on the driver.”

A shot rang out, the back window of the van shattering. Both kids started screaming again. Kono scrambled over the far side with the frightened boy as Danny ducked and lay with the upper half of his body inside the vehicle, praying he didn’t get shot in the ass. 

“KONO!” 

“We’re okay! We’re okay!” 

The little girl wailed and thrashed below him, the sirens sounding like they were close. 

“Hang on, sweetheart, just hang on,” Danny coaxed, closing his eyes for a long moment as he took a deep breath. “It’s gonna be okay, I promise.”

***

Due to the backed up traffic and general chaos, Steve and Chin were able to drive only so close up to where the sniper had everyone pinned. Both men jumped out of the truck and started running, dodging around vehicles and people, brandishing badges so they weren’t detained. 

There were at least a dozen blue and whites scattered where the worst of the action had taken place. With them were half as many ambulances and other rescue vehicles. It was Chin who spotted the Camaro and the overturned van but there was no sign of Danny or Kono. 

Steve stood panting, rubbing the back of his hand over his mouth as he looked around. “Where the hell are they?” 

“You don’t think…” Chin trailed off as they both looked at the mess around them. There were wounded and injured everywhere, some being loaded into ambulances. 

“Commander McGarrett?” 

Steve spun around to find Sergeant Lukela looking at him. 

“Sergeant—"

“If you are looking for Detective Williams and Officer Kalakaua, they’re over there.” He nodded at one of the ambulances. 

It took a moment for Steve to spot the pair, with so many people moving in front of them and the heat shimmering up from the highway. He finally saw them, Danny holding a very small child against his chest and Kono next to him with another over her shoulder. 

“Oh, thank god!” Chin didn’t wait for him, already pushing uniforms and civilians out of his way to get to his cousin. 

The relief at seeing them okay, at seeing _Danny_ okay almost brought Steve to his knees. He felt light headed as everything started to tilt and spin with a roar in his ears. He tried to catch his breath. His surroundings faded and Steve bowed his head, struggling to get some air in his lungs. 

Something made him look up as if someone shouted at him, demanding his attention, commanding him to breathe. 

He found himself staring at Danny where he still stood with Kono and now Chin by the ambulance. Danny, who held his gaze with a fierceness that steadied and cleared Steve’s head. The man’s intensity was almost overwhelming, holding Steve transfixed like nothing he’d ever experienced before. 

Several people walked between them, shattering the moment. Shaking his head, he waited until they passed. But when he saw Danny again, his partner was talking to Chin who reached over and stroked the hair of the little girl Danny held. 

Steve did not just imagine what happened a moment ago, did he? 

This wasn't the first time. It had happened before, where Steve would find himself caught up by his partner, held transfixed by something he couldn't put words to.

Swallowing down his confusion and a host of other emotions he wasn’t ready to inventory, Steve walked over and joined the rest of his team. 

“Hey, you two okay?” His voice rough, he rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth before settling both hands on his hips. 

Kono showed her left forearm where a bandage had been wrapped around it. She still held a toddler over her shoulder. “I got a minor cut, nothing that even needed stitches.” 

“Danno?”

“I’m fine. Gonna need most of the glass replaced in the damn Camaro, though.” Danny shifted the little girl who turned and looked at Steve with huge brown eyes. 

“And who are you, _kamali'i wahine_?” Steve smiled gently at her. 

“If I understand correctly, it’s Lani, but don’t hold me to it.” Danny gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then handed her to one of the EMTs. Kono did the same with the boy she held. “She and her brother were in the van that flipped in front of us. The mother is still unconscious but she’s alive."


	3. Chapter 3

They were informed that despite this incident being the biggest pile up created by the sniper to date, no one had been killed. Considering the amount of traffic, the time of day and how many vehicles had been involved, to Steve's way of thinking it was nothing short of a miracle. 

All four walked into headquarters, Danny and Kono still brushing and shaking bits of windshield glass out their hair and clothes. 

"So the minivan cut me off and Kono was telling me about a place to take Grace when BOOM— the windshield went!" Danny waved both hands in the air, animated as always. "The minivan blew a tire at the same time and then I gotta say, it's all a blur until we came to a stop."

"Did you see where the sniper was shooting from?" Steve watched as Chin brought the surface table to life. He tapped a few keys and a map of Honolulu spread out before them. 

"No, Steven, I wasn't scanning the rooftops as we drove, thank you very much!" 

Steve let Danny's sarcasm roll over him as he leaned over and traced a section of the map. He tapped it then swept his hand, moving it to the main monitor. "Okay, you said the windshield was taken out and you and the minivan were approximately here." Steve pointed at the map. 

"He took out my window too," Kono added.

"But only after we spun around and came to a stop. That put your side of the Camaro in the same direction as the first shot." Danny watched as Chin brought up several pictures of the scene. "This whack job had to be somewhere ahead of us." 

"There are several hotels, apartments and condo complexes here; any of them would make good perches." From the map still on the table, Chin started to tap those buildings to either side of the highway, bringing up the names and addresses. "There's an overpass here, too."

"No, this guy wasn't on an overpass, no way. He'd be spotted too easy." Danny shook his head as his cell phone started to ring. "He was up higher." He read the ID then stepped away from the table as the team watched him without trying to be too obvious about it. 

"You didn't see anything either?" Steve asked Kono as he kept an eye on Danny. The other man had gone into his office, still talking on the cell as he paced back and forth. 

"No, it happened so fast. The windshield went out, Danny managed to keep us from colliding with the minivan and then that flipped. After that, it's like he said, a blur." She shook her head. "He heard those kids screaming and didn't hesitate, Boss." 

Danny came back out of the office, shoving his cell back in his pants' pocket. 

"Everything cool?" Steve had to ask.

"Apparently, Kono and I are all over the news. Grace saw it and got upset— that was Rachel."

"You need to go see her, Danny, go!" 

"No, no, it's fine. I said I'd be by this evening so relax. It's under control. Besides, I won't have the Camaro back until later." Danny spread his hands wide. "But, you two can settle a bet I made with Kono here. Does everyone carry a pocket knife?"

Both Steve and Chin fished one out of their pants pockets. Danny rolled his eyes and dug out his wallet with one hand as he pointed at Steve with the other. "You, you I expected it of, boy scout that you are. But really? You too, Chin? Does everyone on this damned rock carry one?" Danny thumbed through the bills, then pulled a twenty and handed it to Kono. 

"Don't you?" Chin asked and Danny just stared at him. 

"Why the hell would I?" Danny shook his head as he pocketed his wallet. "And you—" this time he pointed at Kono. "You did good. Seriously. I owe you a beer." 

"Gee, Williams, a bet and a beer?" Kono flashed Danny a bright smile. "Who says you don't know how to show a girl a good time?"

"You should never believe the rumors, babe."

***

When the Camaro wasn't ready at the end of the day, Steve offered Danny a ride home that included a side trip to Danny's ex where Grace waited for him. Danny was uncharacteristically quiet and after a few aborted attempts at some light conversation that included an offer to stop for beer and pizza, Steve left him to brood in silence. 

But it didn't sit well with him. 

Steve knew how to read people, how to pick up the nonverbal cues as well as the spoken ones. It came with being a SEAL. It often meant the difference between getting your ass shot off or getting it the hell out of trouble. With Danny, Steve rarely had to assess. Danny said what he meant regardless of the situation and rarely if ever held back. Blunt honesty is what you got with Danny Williams and he never sugar coated it. 

And Steve appreciated that. He liked that he didn't have to guess at things around his partner, wonder at this or that. Danny made sure Steve knew exactly where he stood, take it or leave it. In a world of intrigue and politics, Danny was refreshingly honest. 

Steve had never met anyone like him before, not even close. And as easy as it would be to think that everything about Danny was right there on the surface for anyone to see, Steve knew there was a great deal more the man kept locked down and private. Steve recognized it because it was a mirror of his own emotions— the ones he ruthlessly buried lest they overwhelm him. 

They pulled up past the gate to the front of the big house, Grace sprinting out the door before Steve could stop and put the truck in park. Danny met her halfway in the gathering twilight of the approaching evening, capturing her in those strong arms and lifting her, hugging her tight, swaying, as he kissed her cheek. 

Rachel stood on the doorstep as Steve got out but came no further. Instead he leaned against the side of the truck, arms crossed and watched. 

There was something there Steve couldn't put a name to, try as he could. Danny's commitment to his daughter was absolute, transcending anything as simple as love and devotion. To say she was his life simplified but didn't explain what the two had between them. 

Steve caught glimpses of it when they questioned the traumatized, the frightened and the ones in shock. The loudness and energy that normally defined Danny became muted and toned down. His normally sharp movements and moving hands stilled, his voice softer and careful. Steve would find himself staring at the other man sometimes- Danny who could go from full on rant in the car to soft spoken and gentle the next moment when faced with a victim struggling with shock and grief. 

Danny knelt now on one knee, Grace still wrapped in his arms, she with hers around his neck, her face buried against his shoulder. Steve could hear the soft murmur of voices; Danny's deeper tone to Grace's higher pitch but he was just far enough away not to catch the words. 

Steve ignored the sudden tightness in his chest he sometimes got watching the pair. And shoved down the sudden thought that this could have been a completely different visit; one without Danny as Steve came to tell Grace her father was gone. It had been a real possibility today. Too real. 

Steve wasn't exactly sure when he realized it, but like it or not, Danny had blindsided him, catching Steve so unprepared for the storm that was Danny Williams. No one stirred up the mixture of confused and tangled emotions in him the way this man did. Steve couldn't help but be drawn in like a moth to a flame, tossing out innuendos and quick smiles as if hoping for something back— but exactly what Steve didn't know. 

He wasn't ready to call it an attraction, but what else to call it, Steve wasn't sure. It was beyond the bounds of friendship. 

Danny was intensity with a capital _I_ , a tightly wound package of energy that drew your attention whenever he came into a room. Danny didn't walk, he strutted and swaggered, belying his stature with an attitude that made him seem taller than anyone Steve knew. He was an eyeful, whether he realized it or not with those broad shoulders and narrow hips. Steve had seen it on more than one occasion; he might get the initial glances, but when Danny moved, people stopped and noticed. Both male and female. 

Like it or not, Steve was infatuated, however inappropriate. It came with a startled thrill that chased down his spine and pooled in his gut whenever Danny casually touched him. Danny was tactile, Steve learned that early on and it was nothing for the other man to brush or place his hand on the small of Steve's back or arm. He'd catch Steve off guard and often aching for more. 

And he didn't have a single clue what to do about it. 

Thunder rumbled in the distance. It would rain with the sunset, Steve could smell it in the light breeze that played around them. Danny gave Grace a final kiss, then nudged her back to her mother who had waited patiently by the door. Grace looked back over her shoulder at him, eyes bright in the last of the fading sunlight. "Love you, Danno!"

"Love you more, Monkey!" Danny waved at her one last time before Rachel led her inside with a sad smile. 

***

The rain started with a light splatter across the windshield as they pulled through the gate and back into the street. By the time they got to the end of the block, it turned into a steady downpour. 

"Is Grace okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She's not used to seeing me on the news like that. It rattled her but she's good now."

The image of Danny on the top of the overturned van, ducking when the sniper took out the passenger mirror only inches from him flashed across Steve's mind. It had scared the hell out of him, he could only imagine what Grace must have felt. 

"You were lucky, you should have been more careful. Suppose you actually got shot there, live on the news and she saw that?" The words came out sharper than Steve intended. 

Danny stared at him for a long moment. "Excuse me?" 

Okay, he put it out there, might as well go for broke here. "That was foolhardy what you did with that bastard still taking shots, Danny. Both you and Kono. It's a wonder either of you weren't seriously hurt, even killed."

"Is that what this is about?" Steve didn't miss the edge in Danny's voice as he raised his hands, palms up." That it was Kono with me, and not you? I'm sure it would have been okay if it was you out there dodging bullets and leaping from car to car, looking for someplace to throw a grenade! Screw us lesser mortals, who, by the way, are good cops too!"

"Danny, that's not what I'm saying—" 

"Shut up! I'm not done here!" Danny pointed at him with annoyance flashing in the bright blue eyes. "There were two frightened and possibly hurt kids in that van! Excuse me for not having the foresight to know we'd be shot up by some lunatic with a rifle and scope sunbathing on a rooftop somewhere! Well screw it, you weren't in control of this particular situation and we managed just fine without you! Christ, we stole your thunder, is that's what's pissing you off?"

"I'm not _pissed_ , Danny! But you and Kono scared the hell out of not just me, but Chin as well! We both watched it live and that sniper nearly took your head off!"

"Well, lucky for all of us he didn't, right?" Danny threw his hands wide. "You are such a fucking control freak, you know that? I got news for you, I was a cop and a damn good one long before you blew back onto the island! When did I get relegated to standing on the sidelines like I'm suddenly not capable of handling a situation without you in my hip pocket! I can take you on, McGarrett— in fact I have and I'll do it again if I have to remind you of that!"

"What is with you?" Steve gave Danny a quick glance. "I never said you aren't perfectly capable of holding your own—" 

"Then I'd appreciate it if you treated me that way! It's done and over with, Steven! Kono and I were there and we managed just fine, thank you very much! So shut the hell up and drive!"

"Damn it, Danny, will you just calm down a minute!" Steve shouted. He drew in a deep breath, ready to bull over Danny's next volley when instead he found himself hanging in the sudden and unexpected silence. The light changed ahead to red and Steve pulled up before turning to face the other man. 

Danny sat in rigid silence, annoyance radiating off of him in waves. He had his arms crossed, fingers wrapped around his forearms as he stared straight ahead through the rain streaked windshield. 

"Listen, I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't trying to make this about me, Danny, honestly. It's just that you scared the hell out of me, both of you did." The light changed to green but Steve stayed where they were since there was no one behind them. Danny said nothing, just continued to glare at the windshield. "I know you're a good cop— hell, you're an excellent cop and one of the few people I trust my back to. Just understand where I'm coming from for a minute, okay?" Steve drew in a deep breath. "It's a personal nightmare of mine that I may have to go tell Grace her father got killed. But it doesn't change anything either, Danny. You did good out there today." 

The light was red again, the headlights of a car pulling up behind them filling the cab of the truck. 

"Are we okay here?" 

Danny didn't answer right away and Steve didn't know what else to say.

"Light's green," Danny muttered just as the car behind them laid on the horn. 

***

They drove in silence for the next few blocks, Danny making a concerted effort to wrestle his annoyance and anger under control. He was just as unhappy that Grace saw what happened on the news. He never wanted his young daughter to see something like that. It didn't change anything though. Even if Danny had known that blasted news copter that normally did traffic reports was instead doing a live feed on what happened, he still would have gone to help those two kids. 

He wasn't about to apologize to anyone, least of all Steve who was the last person on the island to pull out the word foolhardy. This from a man who regularly looked for trouble and ran head first into it, sending Danny's blood pressure off the charts on any given day. 

But Danny did regret that Grace saw what happened before Rachel realized it and got the TV turned off. There in the driveway, she shook like a leaf as he held her, promising her that he wasn't about to get hurt, not when they had the weekend coming up and plans to make. He hated the fear in her eyes and knew he was responsible for it. 

"Listen, why don't we stop and get a beer and something to eat, okay? We can hit on a few cute waitresses and put the day behind us, whatcha say?" Steve's tone was light as he gave Danny a quick glance. "There's a local place I know of that I haven't taken you to yet, I think you'd like it."

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the beginnings of a headache. It had been a fucking long day and he was still picking glass out of his clothes and hair. 

"To be honest, Steven, I'm whipped. I'd like to just go home and take a shower and pass out on my couch." 

"Okay, then we'll stop and pick up a six pack and see what game is on." 

"No. Listen, and don't turn that wounded look on me, sweet Christ you're worse than a teenage girl! I'm tired, I'm still shaking glass shards out of my hair and I want to just unwind, alone, in my place. I'm not pissed at you, but if you keep giving me that face, I will be." 

"I don't have a face." 

"Are we gonna have _this_ conversation again? You have a face for everything and right now it's a fourteen year old girl who got her cell phone privileges revoked for a month." 

"You've been waiting for a chance to try that one out, haven't you?" 

"Good grief, already, I swear." 

The silence filled in again with only the sound of the wipers slapping back and forth and the distant grumble of thunder. The rain sluiced down the windshield and windows, Danny watching the patterns as they formed and then disappeared.

"How'd your parents take the news about your brother?" 

Danny felt like he'd been doused in cold water without warning. "What?" 

"You called them, right?" Steve cast him a quick glance before turning the corner and going down another street. "Unless you are planning on going home to tell them? I mean it's not a problem if you want to do that, you know, go to New Jersey." 

"Stop it, just stop it, do you understand me? I told you this morning I don't want to discuss this!" Danny shifted in his seat, the lights of an oncoming car flooding the cab, making him wince. 

"You haven't told them, have you?" 

It felt like someone drove a spike in his head. Between the growing headache and the caged fury that was all for his brother, Danny wanted to hit something or someone, hard. 

"You know what, Steve, no I haven't! There, now you have it, happy now?"

"Danny—" 

"For the love of god, let it go!"

Steve took a deep breath and for a moment Danny thought the other man would drop it. 

"Okay, Danny, I get that you don't want to talk about this, but it's eating you up. I don't like seeing you like this! And you can't tell me you want your parents to find out from the FBI or SEC instead of you!" 

"It's none of your damned business how I handle this!" Danny knew he was shouting and didn't care. 

"Well it was my business a few days ago and you were just fine with it! What's going on here, Danny, why the hell are you shutting me out of this? You think I can't understand or I'll pass some kind of judgment because of what your brother did? You know me better than that!" 

They were at another red light, Steve looking at him with those dark eyes. There was confusion and hurt there but Danny didn't want to deal with it on top of everything else. He wasn't ready, hadn't resolved it in his own head and he wasn't about to hash it out with Steve, not now. 

"What are you doing? Going for broke, double or nothing?" Danny held up his hands and shook his head. "You know what, I'm done here. My apartment's just a few blocks away, I'm gonna walk."

"For god sakes, Danny, it's pouring out! Don't do this!" 

But Danny already had his seatbelt off and shoved the truck door open. "I'll have Kono pick me up in the morning. Good night, McGarrett."

"Danny!" 

Danny slammed the door, already soaked through. He didn't care, he just wanted to be left alone and for Steve to back off of him before he saw what Danny fought so hard to keep hidden. Those raw edges were still way too close to the surface. And Danny wasn't ready to deal with the fallout left in the wake of his brother's mess. 

***

Danny was restless, prowling around his small apartment when he should be sleeping. And it wasn't that he didn’t want to, but he couldn't get his mind to shut down and after a very frustrated hour of tossing and thrashing, he got up. 

He didn't have the time and energy for this but his thoughts weren't giving him a break. They kept chasing around in his head, the same things over and over. The windshield blowing out, the screaming kids and the crack of the rifle shots. And then Steve standing in the middle of the highway looking like he was about to pass out, eyes huge as the color washed from his face. Grace shaking in his arms, saying how much she loved him; Danny promising her he'd never leave her. 

All capped off by Steve's refusal to just let matters alone where it concerned Matty. 

Danny was just raw enough, vulnerable enough that he wanted to spill all of it, tell Steve what really happened and what was he supposed to do for chrissakes— shoot his little brother? When had everything gone so wrong? Danny knew Matt was his own man but he couldn't shake the guilt that said he was somehow responsible. And that he somehow failed Matt. 

Steve would listen, he'd understand. Danny knew he wouldn't pass judgment, but that wasn't what this was all about. This was about making sure no one saw the still gaping wounds left from a failed marriage and now the fresh ones from Matt. For whatever reason, Steve came closer than anyone when it came to Danny giving over, but Danny just couldn't.

He wasn't ready for that level of trust yet. 

Besides, he didn't know what to do about Steve. Danny wasn't dead and he recognized the undeniable attraction. There had been any number of times he wanted to really put it to the test, see just what Steve was made of. And okay, he'd be lying if he didn't admit to a hot fantasy or two that involved slamming Steve against a wall for some really rough and dirty sex. Because that's what it would be— clothes ripping, sweaty, mind bending, rock your world sex; the kind that two guys have. 

And right now the thought made Danny edgy, hard and uncomfortable. Sweet fucking Christ, what was it about the guy that could turn Danny on even when he was so pissed off at him? 

He didn't want whatever it was that Steve danced around at. Maybe if Danny didn't have Grace, maybe if he hadn't been so hurt by Rachel and the biggest maybe— maybe if Steve wasn't his boss and partner, Danny would be willing to take it beyond the fantasy level. 

But Danny had already figured out a few things and he was comfortably sure that Steve really didn't realize what he was doing. And even if he did, Danny already knew Steve wasn't a commitment type of guy. 

Danny, on the other hand, was. 

The rain had moved on a few hours ago. Danny was half tempted to take a walk but he knew that wasn't going to really help his problems right now. 

"Okay, Williams, what's it gonna be? The bed or the shower?" He rolled his head and shrugged his shoulders, his neck and back tight with tension. "What the hell, shower it is. I blame you completely for this, McGarrett and I don't even get the satisfaction of bitching to you about it." 

He went into his small bathroom and turned the water on, running it as hot as he could stand it. He slept in a T-shirt and sweats in large part due to the fact that when Grace was over, they shared the sleeper sofa. That wasn't going to last much longer, Danny realized but she was only eight and he didn't have to think about looking into a bigger place just yet. 

He stripped, the bathroom already steamy with the hot water running. Sliding under the pounding stream, he hissed when the water hit tense muscles. How much hotter would it be if Steve got in here with him, sliding those big hands over Danny's shoulders, pressing fingers into the knots and soothing them out. 

Danny wanted to touch too, wanted to trace his fingers over the inked patterns on Steve's arms. Taste the hot water on the other man's skin as he licked and bit at one nipple as he teased the other with his fingers. He wanted to see the chase of emotions in Steve's eyes as they darkened with heightened pleasure. 

God, he wanted to push that body against the tiles, pinning Steve's hips with his own, sliding erections together as the hot water sluiced over them. 

Danny bowed his head, one hand braced against the wall as he worked his cock into his tight fist. It didn't take much, his release crashing over him, snatching his breath away. He slumped back against the wall, still panting and shook his head. 

It was fantasy, it was all it was ever going to be and Danny told himself that was okay. He didn't need anything else right now and certainly not the tangled mess that would come with Steve McGarrett. He had much more important things to deal with and what could potentially be a messy relationship with another man no less, wasn't on Danny's to do list right now.


	4. Chapter 4

With the early morning sunshine, Kono pulled up in front of Danny's apartment complex. His door was open partway, making her curious so she got out of the car to see what the hold up was. 

She nudged the door open all the way to find Danny, fully dressed and face down on the pull out sofa, head over the edge. He appeared to be trying to fish something out from underneath, muttering under his breath as he did. 

Kono crossed her arms and leaned back against the doorframe, admiring the view. Danny wore a blue dress shirt and khaki pants and from Kono's perspective, the pants did a fine job of showcasing a very nice ass. 

She had no problem admiring her co-worker's rather nice attributes. He was a fascination to her on any given day. She’d never met anyone quite like Danny who was always in motion and rarely still. You knew when he was in a room and you couldn't help but watch him when he moved. 

Under different circumstances she'd seriously consider trying to catch his interest. But it was clear he'd caught Steve's interest right from the start. 

"Hey, Danny. Whatcha doing?"

"I lost my damned cell phone under here. It's like a pit, it sucks things into a black void." As if to prove his point, he tossed something behind him onto the blankets. "Well that's one mystery solved, I thought the laundromat ate that." 

Kono picked up what she realized must be one of Grace's T-shirts and held it up. "This is very chic, Danny, and it's not every man who can pull off pink. But you, yeah, you could." 

Danny looked over his shoulder at her and she gave him a bright smile. 

"Very funny. You know a less understanding partner might call that sexual harassment. Although I've seen you on more than one occasion in swim attire made with less fabric than that shirt." He went back to digging underneath the sofa bed. 

"Fulfilling your every fantasy, I'm sure." 

"You know you should take this act on the road, I know the best cop bars in the greater Newark area. Gotcha!" Danny rolled over and sat on his bed, brandishing the cell phone. 

Kono pushed her still damp hair off her face. "Let's get going here, there might be a basket of kittens you need to rescue on the way in." 

"You know, I don't even have anything to say to that. Seriously? Kittens?" Danny climbed off the bed, pocketing his cell phone and straightening his tie. He ran his hands over his hair before grabbing his keys off the counter. "Let's take the back roads in this morning for the sake of my sanity, please." 

***

"You want to meet up sometime this week for more lessons?" Kono spared Danny a quick glance before returning her attention back to the busy street they drove down. "You know you can bring Grace anytime you want." 

"I'm not sure I'm ready for Grace to join in. I'm barely standing on a board." Danny tried not to cringe. Kono had been surprisingly patient, and insistent that he keep learning. 

"Oh come on, you're doing better than that! Really!"

"Yeah, well. My daughter and I have not made our plans yet for the weekend, although I did want to ask you to show me where that spot was you started to tell me about yesterday." 

They were at a light watching as a pack of teenage boys passed in front of them laughing and carrying skateboards. Not one of them wore a shirt, their shorts a riot of bright colors in the morning sunlight. A couple already had some impressive tattoos on shoulders and arms, the lines sharp against tanned skin. 

It was going to be another picture perfect day in paradise after having rained last night. Well, if you didn't consider the sniper shooting up local traffic and some other things. 

Kono was her usual casual self with what appeared to be a print bikini top under her loose shirt. It hung low off of one tanned shoulder, giving Danny a healthy view of the one strap. She pushed her dark hair off her face, Danny noticing she wore the medallion he'd given her. 

"Can I ask you something?" She kept her eyes on the street as she wove her small car through the traffic. 

There was something in the tone of her voice that had Danny looking at her, the lightness exchanged earlier dimmed now. Danny sensed he knew what was coming, but he also knew that Kono wouldn't press if he asked her not to. 

"What's on your mind?"

"Listen, if it's not my business, just say so, okay? But something's wrong." She pulled into an empty parking slot beside McGarrett's truck. "I care about you and I care about Steve— so what's going on, Danny?" 

Danny met her dark eyes, a bit undone by the concern in her voice. 

"We're fine, babe, really. I'm just dealing with a few things and you know how McGarrett can be— he has no idea what personal boundaries are. The guy is so socially inept, you know that." Danny spread his hands wide, palms up. "He's pushing where he shouldn't be, that's all."

"He cares about you." Her voice softened. "We all do. We're family, don't push us away, Danny. If you need the room that's fine, but it's not gonna make us less concerned for you. After everything Steve has lost in the last six months, don't fault him for being a little more than pushy. What he has left he's holding onto with both hands."

She watched him with those beautiful eyes. Back in New Jersey she'd be considered almost exotic with her stunning features and quick smile. 

"I don't fault him, Kono, I appreciate that he cares as much as he does, that you all care as much as you do. But there isn't anything any of you can do and it's my problem to work through." The ache came back, settling in his chest as he looked away. He wanted to say everything would be fine but he didn't like lying to her.

Her touch was soft on his arm and he looked up at her. 

"When you're ready, Danny, we'll be here."

***

"Chin, you have those lists I asked you to make?" Danny walked up to the table, pushing his sleeves up. Steve stood on the far side, arms crossed over his chest, face emotionless. But Danny didn't miss the tumble of emotions in the dark eyes. 

"Yeah, but nothing matched. I sorted them a few different ways and added in any hotels from yesterday's mess, but still nothing popped." 

"Uh huh." Danny looked at crime scene photos that were displayed on the glossy surface. They were numbered, the Camaro with a "2". "What's this?" 

Kono stepped up beside Danny, toying with her necklace. 

"We've got a good idea what order this went down in yesterday and a reenactment." Chin swept his hand over the table and pushed everything up to the monitors. "This is based on the order and angle of the shots." 

They all watched as the computer simulation showed the minivan, then the Camaro getting hit, then the minivan flipping over. It became chaos behind them, vehicles slamming into each other, glass shattering, people scattering. 

"We've got a good idea from this which roof he was using." Chin tapped the screen and pulled up the hotel in question, one of the garden variety big chain names. 

"It's good work, Chin. Let's check it out and see if we can determine if this guy really was there." Steve nodded at the table. 

"Chin, do me a favor, give me a copy of those lists, I want to look at them," Danny asked as they started to walk for the door. 

"Sure thing, brah, although I'm not sure what you're gonna find." 

"Neither am I, but humor me anyway."

***

Steve trailed in the wake of his team, watching Danny as he talked to Kono, hands moving, energy barely contained, as animated as always. People walked, but Danny, well, he had what Steve privately called "Jersey swagger." He could appreciate it from any angle and right now, following behind, he could really enjoy the view. 

"Steve, you okay?" Chin had paused, apparently waiting for Steve to catch up. 

"Yeah, why?"

"Because you and Danny haven't even acknowledged each other since he came into the office."

Steve shrugged. "Everything's fine." 

Chin raised an eyebrow as he gave Steve a level look. "I don't do this often, but let me offer you a piece of advice."

"That being?" 

"Stop the dancing. Either you want this or you don't and no one is passing judgment here, Steve, no one. No one said he'd be easy." 

"What are you talking about?" They both had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, Danny and Kono having reached the vehicles. Christ but the guy could be cryptic as hell.

"Do you really want me to spell out it out right here, where Danny can hear?" Chin swept his arm to indicate Danny and Kono. 

"Chin—" 

"Right now the last thing he needs is your confusion about what it is you really want. Think about it." He shook his head and walked over to his car, waving Kono over to ride with him. 

Steve realized he must look a little foolish standing there, his mouth half hanging open. Danny leaned back against the front of the truck, crossing his arms as he waited for Steve. 

"You coming, princess? Or did you get a better offer?" 

***

They drove in silence, Danny sitting in the passenger seat, restless and edgy as he shifted his weight, settled and shifted again. 

Steve decided that after last night, he wasn't going to say anything that wasn't strictly related to the case unless Danny brought it up first. It stung when the other man had bailed on him, in the pouring rain no less. Steve decided that for the time being, a strategic retreat was the best course of action. 

But it would be temporary. 

Besides, he was still puzzling over what Chin had said. Steve wasn't an idiot but he didn't quite get why Chin didn't simply come out with it. Steve didn't think he danced around at anything, certainly not in respect to Danny. Okay, he pussyfooted around his partner right now, but that's because Danny wanted to be left alone for the time being. Steve knew Chin Ho referred to something else entirely, which left Steve somewhat unsettled.

He liked Danny, a lot. The guy meant more to him than anyone he'd ever worked with in the SEAL teams. He didn't understand how or why because in truth, a personality like Danny's would normally have Steve gritting his teeth and putting as much distance as possible between them. 

Yet somehow, Danny drew him in. 

And that often unnerved Steve. 

The last time that Catherine had spent the night, Danny had briefly stopped by. Steve couldn't even remember why. But after his partner left Catherine gave him a long appraising look. She finally admitted that she had no idea that Steve's “interests ran that way,” not that she had a problem with it. 

Steve had been floored and she laughed. "Oh come on, Steve! You'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to see the spark between you two!" 

"For god sakes, Cath, he's my partner! He was married and has a young daughter! He's as straight up as they come, I can tell you that much." _And so am I for that matter._

"Okay, if you say so, but that's not what I just saw."

Steve wasn't sure what Catherine saw or wanted to see. Or what Chin Ho hinted around at. Sometimes friendships ran deeper than others and Steve knew that's what it was between him and Danny— a stronger than normal friendship. He could let his guard down around the other man, kid with him and push his buttons because Danny let him. 

If there was anything more to that, then people were reading into it all wrong. 

He'd never admit out loud that okay, he'd had some pretty hot fantasies involving Danny— what wasn't to like about the guy? But that's where it stayed. Steve's tastes did _not_ run that way; it was just that Danny could catch him off guard at the oddest moments. Like when he was tired or frustrated or alone a few too many nights in a row. 

And this train of thought was getting him nowhere, especially right now. 

***

The rooftop they suspected as being the sniper's latest perch turned up nothing. Danny was disappointed, but not surprised. 

Now he sat with the lists that Chin and Kono had pulled together. He crossed off those men they'd interviewed, families, newlyweds on honeymoon— and sweet Christ there were a lot of those! Danny just shook his head and resorted. Single females and anyone over the age of 65 went next. 

That was still a lot of names to review considering he had the employees as well. 

Steve came in and sat on the edge of his desk. "We're ordering in if you want."

Danny didn't look up from his computer screen as he scrolled through the names. "Um, yeah, sure, just bring me a menu." 

"It's the deli down the street. What you working on?" 

There was genuine curiosity in Steve's voice that had Danny glancing up. He shrugged, then rolled his shoulders before sitting back in his chair. "I'm not sure yet. I keep thinking that our guy is here, though. I'm looking at it like a puzzle, trying to find a pattern. I'm hoping something will jump out at me eventually."

"Something we can help with, look at one angle while you play with another?" 

"Not just yet. I'm still thinking it out, trying to decide what it is I'm trying to see." Danny heaved a sigh and pointed at the screen. "I might be working at nothing and wasting a lot of time." 

"I doubt that, your instincts are solid. Keep with it." Steve shrugged as he got back to his feet. "We need to go back out on interviews this afternoon, try to eliminate some more of these names." 

Kono pushed the door open, her eyes bright. "Guys, he's at it again! He's on the H1!

***

The sniper was gone by the time they pulled up. Danny sat for a long moment in the passenger seat, staring at the destruction. The memory of the windshield blowing out, Kono’s startled cry and then the van flipping as he tried to keep them from colliding all came back with a clarity that made him suck in a deep breath. 

“Danny— hey, Danny, you okay?” 

Danny flinched when Steve touched his arm, looking at him in confusion. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Let’s do this.” Danny pushed the door open, climbing out of Steve’s truck. The late afternoon heat hit him like a wall, the air thick with the mugginess. 

Kono and Chin waited in front of Steve’s truck, Kono sliding her gaze away from his when Danny looked at her. 

Vehicles were scattered everywhere, including a tractor trailer that had jackknifed and taken out at least three cars before it tipped and landed on its side. The skid marks had Danny wincing as he estimated how far the rig had gone before finally ending up where it did. Crates and boxes lay scattered over the highway. 

“Sweet Christ, what a mess.” Danny shook his head as he looked around at the destruction. All of this was done by one lunatic with a rifle. 

“Let’s see if we can determine who got hit first and then maybe we can get an idea of what roof he used.” Steve nodded toward the vehicles closest to the rig. Everything else appeared to be scattered behind it for upwards of a mile. “I want to know if anyone saw anything— a passenger maybe saw the guy standing on a roof, or a muzzle flash— anything.”

The fire department had two men up on the cab of the rig, cutting the door open. “I’ll take the trucker, if he’s conscious. He’s up so much higher, who knows, maybe he saw something. He’ll probably know who got hit first anyway.” The heat shimmered over the surface, Danny feeling the sweat crawl down his back as he walked up to the firemen. He flashed his badge so they didn’t think he was a gawker or the press. “Five-0, what’s the status here?” 

“We got one guy trapped in there pretty good. We’re still a few minutes from getting in there. Damn cab’s a mess.” The fireman gave Danny a distracted glance. 

“Is he conscious?”

“Hell, we don’t even know if he’s alive.” 

Danny sighed at that. So far, they’d been lucky no one had been killed. “Looks like the truck took out a few vehicles along the way. Were there any fatalities?”

“Two in critical condition, the EMTs are working on stabilizing them.” He nodded at one of the cars which clearly had taken the brunt of the impact. The entire front end was smashed, the roof caved in on the driver’s side. “Lots of broken bones, lacerations, head injuries— just like the other times.”

“Yeah,” Danny muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. Somewhere behind him a child wailed and before he could dodge the thought, he was there on the minivan, trying to calm two terrified kids down. The crack of the rifle shot and the passenger side mirror exploding next to him…

“What’s the word on the driver?” Chin came up, Danny staring at him for a confused moment. 

“The driver, yes, he ah, they don’t know. They’re still trying to get to him.” 

“It’s looking like the rig got hit first. Witnesses, and it’s still a little confusing, remember seeing the truck suddenly veer and jump lanes, then completely lose control. After that, it was chaos as people realized they were being shot at.” 

“Figures. It’s not like these guys are trained in what to do when being shot at by a whack job.” Danny spotted Kono and Steve as both walked over to where he stood with Chin. 

“Witnesses I talked to seem to think it was the big rig that got hit first.” Kono pushed her hair back from her face. “After that, no one really remembers much else.”

“Well, hopefully, the driver can tell us something.” Danny exchanged a quiet look with Kono. She shook her head, still refusing to meet his gaze. He’d deal with that later. Or have Chin do it. 

They finally got the door cut open. One of the EMTs scrambled up with some help before climbing inside. 

Danny looked behind him at the destruction sprawled out over four lanes and for at least a mile back. There were blue and whites everywhere as well as ambulances and other rescue vehicles. It all looked too much like what had happened yesterday. The confusion, the shock, the badly injured. 

“Danny,” Steve touched his shoulder and Danny turned back to see the EMT being helped back up from inside the ruined cab. 

“This doesn’t look good.” 

In one of those oddly freakish moments, the noise lulled as the EMT’s voice carried to where they stood. “He’s gone. Looks like one shot to the head. That’s my guess as to why the truck jumped the lanes and went completely out of control.” 

“Oh man,” Steve pushed his hand through his hair, shaking his head as he looked away. “This changes everything now.”

***

It was late when Danny returned to headquarters ahead of the rest of the team. Steve had dropped him off on his way to speak to the governor who wanted an update in person. Kono went to the ER to gather statements from those injured while Chin stayed on scene to do the same. 

The office was quiet without the rest of the team. Since no one was there, Danny took his lists and plugged them into the surface table. He divided and pushed them up onto the screens then stood and looked at them, arms crossed. He was convinced who they were looking for was there, it was only a matter of finding the pattern. 

He lost track of time as he studied and deleted a name here or another there, then reshuffled and studied again. He was so focused he didn’t hear Kono come into the office at first. Maybe it came with being a cop and a parent, but Danny sensed he was not alone anymore and turned in time to see Kono slip into her own office. 

She’d been off since they arrived at the scene; Danny had picked up on that much. Kono, who was tough as nails and backed away from nothing had looked, to Danny, to be a little shaken. Danny also knew she’d never admit to it willingly for fear of looking like a liability to the men who made up the rest of the team. 

He’d seen her hurt before, with the death of her mentor, watched her deal with the grief and come past it her own way. He’d been careful, not wanting her to misunderstand, but still wanting her to know he understood and was, as with Steve and Chin, not just her co-worker or partner, but her friend. 

He didn’t like seeing her off balance like she was now. He knew where it came from; he was dealing with it to some degree too. The scene today was a graphic reminder of what happened to them only the day before. And more than likely in another day or two, she’d have her footing firm again. She was, among many things, resilient.

Danny pushed her door open and waited for her to look up. “Hey, babe, you want to talk about it?” 

“About what?” She cast a quick glance at him, her dark hair spilling over her bare shoulders, obscuring her face as she looked away from him. 

“What, you suddenly don’t trust me here?” Danny came all the way into her office, letting the door close behind him as he spread his hands wide. “Because, you know, here I thought you’d trust me enough if for no other reason than I was in the car beside you yesterday.” 

You had to be looking for it, but Danny saw the slight twitch in her shoulders, heard the catch of her breath. She didn’t say anything as he came around the front of her desk, just kept her head down as if reading her computer screen. Danny could see the tension, practically feel it as it vibrated through her. 

“You see, here’s the thing,” Danny sat on the corner of her desk. “I’d like to talk about it. I could bring it up with McGarrett, but well, it’s not the same as talking about it with someone who was there, am I right?” 

“You’re reading me wrong, Danny. I’m a little frustrated with all of this, that’s all. Like we aren’t getting anywhere and now someone’s dead.” She got up and put more space between them. 

“Kono, look at me.”

“Danny—“ 

“Hey, just look at me.” Danny didn’t raise his voice; instead he was careful to soften it, to keep any edge out of it. The last thing she needed was impatience or sharpness. 

She had her arms wrapped around herself, unconsciously rubbing her slender fingers over tanned skin. She turned, tossing her hair back over her shoulders as she raised her head and finally met Danny’s gaze. There was confusion and pain and a riot of other things that had Kono tied up and struggling to look away.

Only Danny wouldn’t let her. “Now, why don’t we both talk about this, okay?”


	5. Chapter 5

_“Try to fix things? What are you going to do, huh? You’re just gonna run away? You going to fly off and forget about us, huh? That’s your plan? Hey, I’m asking you a question!”_

_Danny’s hands shook as he watched his brother, as he held a gun on him. He couldn't breathe as he stared at Matty, his world starting to fall apart around him. For God sakes, he was pointing a gun at his own brother!_

_“What about Mom and Dad, huh? What about Grace?”_

_But Matty only shook his head at Danny’s pleas._

_“We’re your family, Matty!”_

_Matthew raised his head, something changing in his eyes and Danny no longer recognized what once was there only hours before._

_“This ends one of two ways, big brother. You either shoot me, or you say goodbye.”_

***

Danny sat up with a groan, his head throbbing, his entire body complaining. He’d crashed on the floor of his office for a few hours rather than go home to his apartment. “You’re not a kid any more, Williams. Use the fucking couch next time.” He pushed his hands through his hair, imagining it was quite the wreck to go along with the rest of his body. 

His cell phone rang, the tone cutting through his head like a dull blade. “Go away, please.” He drew one leg under him, ignoring the ache in his knee as he reached toward his desk. After fumbling and swearing for a moment, he found the offending thing and looked to see who the hell would call him at almost 2AM in the damn morning. 

The caller ID listed his parents. 

Danny felt his chest constrict, his breath catching as he rolled his head back and looked at the ceiling. He hit ignore, sending the call to his voice mail. “God, I’m sorry. I just can’t right now.” He ducked his head, squeezing his eyes shut against the burn of tears and shame, then threw his cell across the room. It hit the back of the couch and bounced off, landing with a clatter on the floor. 

“Damn you, Matty. What the hell happened to you? Then you fucking leave me to clean up your mess?” 

The lights came on in the main part of the office, causing Danny to look up. Steve walked over, carrying a couple cups of coffee and a bag with grease marks. He pushed Danny’s door open then leaned against the frame, giving him a long, considering look.

“What are you doing here, McGarrett?”

“I could ask you the same thing but I figure you’ll just bite my head off.” 

“That depends. If what’s in the bag is what I think it is, I can be civil.” Danny scrubbed at his face, hoping Steve didn’t see anything but the remains of a restless nap on the office floor. 

“You’re so damn easy when it comes to baked goods, I swear.” Steve handed him one of the coffees before putting the bag on Danny’s desk. 

“If you say I’m cheap too, I’ll punch you.” Danny took the lid off the coffee and sniffed it. Steve walked over to his couch and sat down. Okay, more like sprawled with those long legs of his. Danny sipped and watched him through half lidded eyes. 

“I realize your apartment isn’t the greatest, but the office floor, Danno?” Steve leaned down and picked up the cell phone, quirking an eyebrow at Danny. 

“I wasn’t in the mood to go home and crash to just turn around again in a few hours. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Besides, the feds set up house in my parking lot. Like I wouldn't notice that.” Danny sighed and set the cup on his desk so he could get to his feet. He bit back a curse and groan as he stood up, shifting his weight to his good knee for the time being. “So I answered your question, now it’s your turn. Why are you here at fucking 2AM in the morning?” 

Steve studied him for a moment, then leaned forward and offered Danny his phone. “I had a feeling you’d be here.” 

“You had a feeling?” Danny peered in the bag after pocketing his cell. Bingo, there were malasadas. “Are you kidding me?” He fished one out and offered it to Steve who shook his head. 

“Yeah, that and I couldn’t sleep. So I came into the office.” Steve shrugged. 

Danny sat in his chair and stretched. “Not sure what it says about either of us. But hey, I’m not about to complain about a sugar fix.”

Steve still held his coffee between his hands, rolling the cup slowly between his palms. Danny couldn’t help himself as he stared. 

"You haven't heard from your brother?" 

"No. I doubt I will."

“Listen, Danny—" 

“Damn it, Steve— don’t. Not now, just not now.” 

Steve didn’t say anything, just watched him with his dark eyes, Danny not missing the hurt there. But he couldn’t acknowledge it, not now. Everything was still too close to the surface. It would be too easy for Steve to bring down his fragile defenses. 

“Okay.” Steve shook his head and looked out into the main office. “So, are you getting anywhere with those lists?” 

***

Steve hadn’t lied when he told Danny he couldn’t sleep. He simply omitted the reason _why_ and it had nothing to do with the sniper and everything to do with the other man. 

He couldn’t get comfortable on his bed, feeling wound up and distracted and the breeze blowing in through his windows did little to cool the air. Frustrated, he sat up and stripped off his T-shirt, tossing it on the end of the bed in the tangle of the blanket he’d kicked off earlier. 

He liked sleeping with the windows open. He usually fell asleep to the sounds of the ocean— the crashing surf, the calls of the night birds and other creatures. It normally calmed him, let him shut his racing thoughts down so he could drift off. But not tonight. 

More and more, Danny kept creeping into his thoughts at the oddest times. Especially when Steve found himself alone and with too much time on his hands and nothing to occupy his mind. He didn’t give it much thought at first. Danny was such a force to be around that it didn’t surprise Steve to still be thinking about him hours after they’d left the office and gone their separate ways. 

And it was all innocent enough, remembering something the other man said with that sarcastic edge or his quick smile. The look on his face when he held Grace in his arms, so open and unguarded. A vulnerability that Danny gave only to his daughter and no one else. 

Steve wanted Danny to look at him that way— with nothing between them, no barriers, no hidden truths— just honesty. But when Steve imagined that, when he let his thoughts take him there, Danny wasn’t just looking at him. Danny was with him, naked, skin streaked in sweat, his hair a wreck. He was above Steve, weight on one hand, rocking, pushing, grinding his erection against Steve’s. And it would be then as they both balanced in that moment that Steve could see Danny as the other man looked down at him, eyes wide— open and vulnerable— everything there for Steve, everything. 

Steve sprawled back on his bed, flushed and hard and very much alone. He pushed his hand into his sweats and lightly fisted his cock. He was so turned on, so hard that he came right there with just a few rough strokes. 

He didn’t have thoughts like this with anyone else and certainly not when it came to another guy. While serving in the Navy, then with the SEALs, Steve would find himself quietly appreciating another sailor, but he’d shut that down fast and refused to indulge in it. 

But he couldn’t with Danny and like now, he stopped trying. He didn’t know what that made him, jerking off to fantasies of Danny fucking him through the mattress, because that’s what Steve wanted, wanted more and more every day. 

There was something incredibly fucked up and wrong about this. 

This wasn't who he was. He didn't sleep with guys. He slept with Catherine when she was in port. 

But he knew he was kidding himself there. For all that the sex was great, and it was, Steve still felt empty and wanting. He could probably sleep his way through half the female population on the island and still not find what he was looking for. 

The fantasy of Danny above him… 

When the hell did this get so mixed up for him? And Danny— he was doing his best to push Steve away, refusing to talk about his brother. Steve sensed there was more, that Danny hadn't told him the entire truth about what happened when he chased after Matt. 

Steve only wanted to help, even if it was nothing more than offering his understanding. He hated seeing his friend struggle to push it down and lock it away. Along with a lot of other things he didn't think Steve saw. 

But Steve did see. He hadn't realized it until Rachel threatened to take Grace away. There on the boat, as he asked Danny what he was going to do and Danny honestly didn't know. It was in that moment Steve saw exactly what the divorce had done and how emotionally wounded Danny was. There was a moment when he thought Danny would open up to him, but it slipped away before Steve could do anything about it. 

He sat up, wiping his hand on his sweat pants. Now he was even more wound up, even after just getting off. This was getting him nowhere and if he couldn’t sleep he might as well make use of the time. Besides, he had a feeling Danny was still at the office, even at this hour, wrapped up in those lists. 

***

Steve sat at his desk, reviewing photos of the damage done by the sniper rifle, seeing if he could narrow down the weapon. He’d already determined this wasn’t your average hunting rifle; there was too much power, too much precision. This was skill and cold anger and calculated. 

This was someone well trained.

Steve had a pretty good idea that this was a sniper trained by the military. There was still the possibility of it being former law enforcement but it didn’t have that _feel_ about it. There was too much planning, the times and locations all carefully chosen. 

It pointed at patience. 

He sat back in his chair, reviewing the ballistics. It was always the same caliber, common enough that it would be hard to track down. Steve had a list of stores and other places that sold it, but the sad fact was, it could easily be mail ordered. Or if the guy was still active military, he could be supplying himself right from whatever base he was stationed at. It would be the rifle that would be easier to track back. But right now they didn’t have that either. He’d narrowed it down to what he considered the top five choices and decided to concentrate on those. 

There were a couple that could only be purchased through custom requests. Steve decided it might be a long shot, but he’d contact the manufacturers and ask for client lists that dated back at least two years. He might get lucky, be able to match something up to Danny’s lists. 

Steve glanced up through the glass walls of his office across to Danny’s. The other man had gone home earlier to shower and change but was back now, working on his computer, making phone calls. He still looked exhausted and worn and Steve knew not all of it had to do with the case. 

He wished he could get Danny to open up to him and talk about Matt. 

Family was everything to Danny and Steve knew that was a large part of the other man’s make up. To pretend this didn’t happen, to shut it away and suffer it in silence— it ate at Steve that Danny couldn’t trust him enough to at least talk about it. 

Grace remained the only one that Danny was so open with. 

Steve’s phone rang and he pulled his attention away from watching Danny. It was his cell but he didn’t recognize the caller ID and the area code wasn’t familiar either. He did have some calls out to a few contacts he still kept in the SEALs, hoping they could tell him something he hadn’t thought of yet. 

So he was completely unprepared when it was Danny’s mother who answered him. 

***

Danny looked up when Steve came into his office, his eyes dark, wearing one of those expressions that made Danny want to groan. 

“What’s with the face, Steven?” 

“You haven’t called your family, have you? They don’t know what’s happened, do they?”

Caught off guard, Danny stared for a long moment. “It’s none of your damned business; I thought I made that clear.” 

“You know what, Danny, you did— more than once!” Steve pointed at him. “And that’s fine, you want to shut me out— I get it! You want to act like this never happened, you’re right, that’s on you!” 

Out in the main office, Chin and Kono had stopped, both watching. Danny got to his feet, the low grade tension headache spiking behind his eyes. 

“Do you want me to hit you, knock you on that damned righteous ass of yours?” Danny came around his desk, pushing his rolled shirt sleeves further up on his arms. “What is it with you, huh? What part of no don’t you get, McGarrett? It’s none of your god damned business, do you understand me?”

“It is my business, Danny! It was back in your brother’s hotel room! It is when your family is calling me because you’re apparently ducking them!” 

That made Danny stop cold, staring as Steve glared back at him. 

“Yeah, Danny, they just called me! They thought you were in the hospital or even worse, dead because why the hell else aren’t you calling them back?” Steve swept his arm out, before pointing at Danny, the anger changing to something else that had Danny looking away. “Thank god I could tell them you were fine. For God sakes, Danny…” 

Danny raised his hands in a clear warning to stop right there. Turning, he leaned on his desk with one hand, scrubbing his face with the other. “Sweet Christ.” The last thing he expected was for his parents to call Steve. 

“Danny, they’re worried.” The anger was gone from Steve’s voice, but not the hurt. “We’re all worried, can’t you understand that?”

The room closed in around him, trapping him with Steve, making it hard to breathe. Glancing up, he saw Kono and Chin were still watching, both with honest concern in their eyes. But it didn’t matter and he wasn’t going to give in to this and leave himself out there to be torn apart again. He’d barely made it back the last time and only because of Matty and Grace. He couldn’t trust that Steve could do the same, would do the same. 

“I need to do something. I’ll be back in a couple hours.” Danny shook his head, his voice tight. Refusing to look at Steve, he started to push past the other man to get the hell out of the office. He needed space, needed to pull himself back together. He couldn’t think about this right now. 

Steve caught his arm and Danny swung around, furious and ready to take the other man’s head off. 

"Danno—" 

Danny raised his hand in a clear warning to stop, to shut the hell up. Steve looked at him in bewilderment, his confusion and worry brilliant in his dark eyes. For a moment Danny let him hold him there, hold his gaze. He was so close to the edge, to just letting it all go. But he looked away, pulling free from Steve’s hand. 

“I need to go.” He pushed out his door, tossing a glance at Chin and Kono. Kono took a step toward him but Danny shook his head at her as Chin gently caught her arm. Turning, Danny left, desperate to put space some space between all of them. Especially McGarrett. 

***

Danny knew he should have called his family days ago, but what was he supposed to say? That Matty really blew it this time and he stood there and let him go? That he held a gun on him— his own brother? Seriously, how do you explain any of it to your parents? 

This was the phone call he dreaded.

He didn’t pay attention to where he was driving, only that he wanted to be some place, _any place_ that didn’t have McGarrett looking at him with that damned wounded confusion. Why couldn’t the guy just leave off for chrissakes?

And what the hell was with all the new signals he was getting off the guy? Did he even know what the hell he was doing? Either way, the last thing Danny had was time for this. Besides, it was just a bad idea from top to bottom, even if Danny was interested. Which, right now, he was not. 

Jerking off to fantasies was one thing and completely harmless. Anything more than that? Absolutely not. 

Danny pulled into one of the many parking lots alongside the beaches and killed the engine. The surf was up, the waves busy with surfers and swimmers. The beach itself was just as crowded with tourists and locals alike. He sat silently, driver’s side window down, watching the activity. 

He’d been here a year now, which he still found hard to believe. But it wasn’t until the last couple of months that he started to feel like he could belong here. This was never going to be New Jersey, but he had found a certain measure of acceptance of where he’d landed. He liked being with Five-0 and with Kono and Chin. And despite McGarrett’s apparent death wish, Danny enjoyed their partnership and their friendship outside of work. 

Until Matty came to Honolulu.

Danny sighed and pulled out his cell phone, looking at the picture of Grace he kept on it. This phone call wasn’t going to get any easier, no matter how long he put it off. Estimating the time back on the east coast, Danny got ready to dial when the damn thing started to ring in his hand. 

Thankfully, it was Chin’s ID that came up. If it had been Steve’s, Danny wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have thrown the damn thing out the window. 

“Chin, what’s up?” 

“The sniper’s back at it, Danny. We’re on our way now! McGarrett wants you to meet us there!”

“Text me the address, I’m on my way!”


	6. Chapter 6

Danny got as close as he could to the pile-up on Ala Moana Boulevard, but even lights, sirens and a badge could only get him so far. When he spotted Steve's truck, he pulled in next to it. He'd have to hike the rest of the way on foot. 

The destruction was everywhere with vehicles of all types scattered across the highway for at least a mile. Danny jogged between wrecks, pieces of debris and shattered glass. There were civilians and first responders everywhere, helping the injured, freeing those who were trapped. With the wail of the sirens, Danny heard the confused and frightened voices of traumatized victims. 

He spotted Kono first. She knelt on the asphalt in front of a young couple in the shadow of a sedan that ended up on its side and resting against the guard rail. The woman had a vicious gash on her arm, the EMTs starting to bandage it. The man sat beside her, hands on her shoulders, Danny catching the glint of wedding rings on both of them. They were likely newlyweds, come to Hawaii for their honeymoon. 

Kono saw him and with a final couple of words to the injured pair, got up and joined him, sweeping her hair back out of her face. 

"Newlyweds?" 

"Yeah. They're pretty banged up, but should be okay. She's the worst, with her arm cut up. Husband is shocky, which is to be expected." Kono shook her head as she took in the devastation. 

It looked like a war zone. 

"And how are you holding up?" The entire ride over Danny had been trying to shake the image of the two frightened children they'd rescued. The report of the rifle, the windshield exploding on the Camaro, the mini-van spinning and flipping with the blown tire… 

"Probably about the same as you." She met Danny's gaze, her eyes large and dark before glancing away. "I'll feel a lot better when we catch this bastard." 

Danny couldn't agree more. "Where are McGarrett and Chin Ho?" 

"Up where the first two vehicles that were hit are." She hesitated, Danny watching her. "We've got more fatalities." 

"Yeah, I was afraid you were going to say that." 

***

In the end, there had been four killed. Two were shot, one an elderly woman with her grandchildren in the back and a local man in his pick-up. The other two were traffic fatalities. A local couple in their thirties. Their car had flipped and landed on the roof before being slammed into by a delivery truck. They never stood a chance. 

Danny was sick with the reality. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to get the images out of his head of the destruction and the wounded. The wail of sirens and the cries of the victims still rang in his ears. 

He'd stood at one point, circling around, noting all the buildings, any of which would have given the bastard a perfect vantage point. There were several hotels all along this stretch of the highway. 

Now he stood at the surface table, staring at the map Chin had brought up, red markers indicating where vehicles had ended up. The mess stretched over a mile and encompassed close to forty vehicles. Chin switched three of the red markers for blue, indicating the fatalities. 

Steve stood next to Danny, crowding in closer than was necessary. It was useless to shift away, to put some real estate between them as Steve just moved with him. Danny tried his best to ignore him, but it was hard not to catch the confused expressions on Kono and Chin's faces. 

They'd narrowed it down to the buildings on the east side of the highway that were possible perches, but there were still a lot of hotels to sort through. 

"This stretch of highway, he'd shot this up before, right?" Danny noted as he studied the layout. 

"Yeah, it was one of the first incidents, I think." Chin reduced the map and moved it to one side before tapping in some information. He nodded and swept up the information to the monitors. "The third attack. But in that one, he was on the ocean side of the highway. Everything had him at this hotel." He tapped the building on the map still displayed on the table. 

Danny nodded, holding up his hand. "Give me a minute." He fast walked to his office and grabbed the tablet he'd been using, pulling up the list for that hotel as he came back. "When we get which hotel, can I have the guest lists?" 

"Yeah, sure. I should have it within the hour; I'm just waiting on some reports from the crime scene unit to give me angles." Chin nodded. 

"You getting anywhere with those lists?" Steve shifted right next to him, hip to hip, looking at the screen of the tablet Danny held.

"I've got a theory, but I'm still working it out." Danny set the tablet down, swallowing his frustration. 

"Where are you with the rifle, boss?" Kono reached across the table, taking the tablet and glancing at it. 

Steve pulled up the information on five different types of rifles, putting them up on the monitors so they could all see. "These are the top sniper rifles out there. Anyone trained professionally would likely be using one of these. And this guy is a professional— there is too much precision here for it to be just a civilian sharpshooter. There is nothing random about what he's doing for all it looks like it. He's picked his perches well in advance, has already checked them out for the angle and the time of day that would give him the optimum advantage." Steve dropped three of the rifles off. "These two, these are custom made. You have to order them, they aren't mass produced. I've got calls into both the manufacturers for their client lists."

"So you are convinced that this guy is military, not law enforcement." Chin studied the two rifles. 

"There's too much planning, this is too organized, too well thought out. He's got a definite agenda going on here. That would be a sniper with military training. SWAT or other police— they come in when the situation is already in play, so they have to make quick decisions based on what they've been given. It leaves little time for planning and strategizing." Steve indicated the table, pulling the map to the top again. "This, this is cold and unhurried. Planned and calculated." Steve nodded to the screens. "And he's positive he's not gonna get caught."

***

Between the dead end leads, useless phone calls and the fact that this case had now escalated from pot shots to people actually being killed, Danny's frustration level was off the chart. He wasn't in the mood for Steve's games, especially back at headquarters. 

Did the guy have no idea what he was doing, for the love of God? In anyone else's hemisphere it was flirting. Outrageous, unprofessional, uncalled for and it was riding high on Danny's nerves. And if he thought he was over examining it, he only had to glance at Kono and Chin who had ringside seats to whatever the fuck it was that Steve thought he was or wasn't doing. 

Because for someone who insisted he was all male, Steve was doing a piss poor job of proving it around his staff. 

Danny knew he wasn't in the right frame of mind for this. That voice of reason in the back of his head, crammed behind the throbbing headache he'd had over the last twenty-four hours whispered at him to just cool down. There would be a better time to sit down and talk this out without spooking the hell out of Steve. 

And to make it clear that Danny, for the foreseeable future wasn't interested. 

But he was tired and fed up and still very raw over the mess with his brother that happened only days ago— Christ, was it only days ago? His patience and humor before all of this was gone now; packed up and put away and Danny didn't care. 

Steve pulled into the driveway of his house, killing the engine to the Camaro and pulling the keys out of the ignition. "You want to come in for a beer?" 

"No, Steven, I want to go home, get out of my filthy clothes and sleep. The few hours on my office floor aren't cutting it." Danny didn't even try to hide his annoyance, knowing his tone was sharp. 

Steve looked at him for a long moment, then shrugged. "Come on. We can talk inside."

Danny stared at him. Did he not just hear what Danny said? "I'm not in the mood to talk. I wasn't a few days ago, I'm not now." He started to reach for the keys but Steve palmed them and climbed out. Danny ground his teeth and shoved the passenger door open with ill grace. He slammed the door, coming around the front of the car. He started to tell Steve to give him the damned keys to his damned car but Steve was already on his doorstep, unlocking the door and going inside. 

That tears it. There was no more voice of reason as Danny went after him. _You want to run with the big dogs, McGarrett, you best understand exactly what that means._

Danny kicked the front door shut and as Steve turned, confusion and curiosity on his face. Danny grabbed and slammed him up against the wall in a full body check, hands fisting in the material of Steve's shirt. 

"Christ, Danny, what the hell—“

Danny crushed his mouth to Steve's, hard and messy and filthy as he ground his hips hard into the other man. He felt Steve's shock snap through his body, felt the muscles tighten, the sharp surprised intake of breath. Danny broke what he could loosely call a kiss, biting Steve's bottom lip hard. He met with Steve's stunned expression, the other man's eyes wide, a flush staining his cheeks. 

"Is this what you've been playing at? The innuendo, the crowding my space, the looks— is this what you've been asking for, Steve?" Danny palmed Steve's cock through his fabric of his pants. Steve's eyes were all pupil, his breath ragged. Danny could see the other man's confusion and underlying fear. "Yeah, I thought as much." Danny shook his head. "I don't think you're ready to come out of the closet."

"Excuse me?" Steve's eyes darkened a shade with his sudden anger and embarrassment. "What did you just say?"

"You want to play, maybe roll around on your couch, scratch an itch I seem to have brought out in you, but you don't want to look at it as anything more than that, do you? Some fun with no strings attached, but nothing more." Danny backed away a few steps from Steve, but not from the simmering fury. "I won't do that, I won't be that for you or for anyone else for that matter." Danny shoved a hand through his hair before pointing at Steve. "Do you even know what you're doing here, Steven, what fucking game you’re playing at?"

"And you do, Danny?" Steve raised his head, looking at Danny with dark eyes. "You know who and what you are?"

"I've known exactly who and what I am, babe, and have for a very long time. So did Rachel. No lies, no games, she knew the door swung both ways with me and as long as I was with her, it was her and only her. This isn't what got between us and no—" Danny silenced Steve with a quelling look when he started to interrupt. "No, I am not discussing that with you either. Damn, you are so fucking clueless sometimes— tossing signals like you throw hand grenades, heedless of the damage you inflict—"

"Now wait a minute—" 

"I'm talking here! You shut the hell up and actually listen to what I've got to say; is that understood?" Danny punctuated the demand with both hands. "You think you know what you want and so long as it's casual, a quick fuck or two here and there, that doesn't screw with your "I'm all man" mentality. Well, babe, I've had enough!" He planted a hand in the middle of Steve's chest and shoved him back a step. "Even if you were to wake up tomorrow and got a grip on your sexuality—yes, I said sexuality— I'm not going to be the guy you get to try it out on! I'm not interested and before you get that damned ego in a twist, it's not because in another time and place, I wouldn’t be! But not now! I'm not looking for anything from anyone— do I make myself clear?"

"Danny—" 

"Not to mention how colossally stupid this would be for us to begin with— hello! You are my fucking boss!" Danny fisted his hands and half turned away before whirling back. "My boss, my partner, my co-worker! Do you honestly think we could separate _this_ from work?"

"Danny, will you just listen for a minute here—"

"Back the fuck off! Does that make it easier for you to understand?" 

Steve didn't open his mouth this time. He just looked at Danny with a mixture of sorrow, bewilderment and no small amount of wounded pride. This wasn't one of their give and take snark fests, this was on a whole new level and it was clear Steve didn't know what to do about it. 

At some point the car keys ended up on the floor. Probably when Danny body checked Steve to the wall, not that he particularly cared. He bent down and swept them up in one hand, suddenly feeling exhausted, wrung out and almost sick. He went to the door, pulling it open but stood there, not looking at anything. 

"I get that you were— are military. I do, Steve. I understand what that means. But it doesn't give you a free pass on this." Danny finally looked up, meeting Steve's confused gaze. "Like it or not, you are so far in that closet, you're gonna need a flashlight and a compass to find the damn door. And there was a time I would have loved being the person to help you get there. But not now. I'm sorry." 

Danny went outside into the humid evening air, pulling the door shut behind him. He stood there on the doorstep, head still pounding, and feeling so damn numb and lonely. 

***

Danny recognized the unmarked van sitting at the back of his apartment complex. Already wound up from the exasperating case and now McGarrett, the last thing he was in the mood for was the FBI keeping tabs on him because of Matt. 

The logical part of him knew that it made sense for the feds to be watching him but that was buried under a mountain of frustration and anger he couldn't push away or contain anymore. He was tired, fed up and sick of everything and if Matt were to show up on his doorstep, however unlikely that was, Danny was sure he'd break his neck. 

He sat in his car, hands gripping the steering wheel, the windows down as he studied the van. It was dark but not so late that people weren't pulling in and out of the parking lot. The street he drove in from was busy with the late evening traffic. Some kids shouted back and forth to each other from a pair of convertibles sitting at the stop light, the girls laughing as the guys shouted good natured insults at each other. Both cars took off with a screech of tires when the light changed, someone blaring their horn in protest. 

Danny needed to call home. It was the dead last thing he wanted or needed but he had to do it. He imagined his parents were sick with what happened; probably more so because Danny had been ducking them. This wasn't like back in Newark when he and Rachel had separated and his father came to his apartment wanting to know what the hell was wrong with him, couldn't he pick up the phone and let his mother know he was all right? 

The thing was, he wasn't all right then and he sure as hell wasn't all right now. 

God, he hated this damned island. Hated what his life had become and how trapped he felt by it. He wished he could walk away and not look back but there was still Grace. 

He could not walk away from his daughter. 

One of his neighbors, a single mother with two boys approached his car. 

"Detective Williams?" 

"Maggie, isn't it?" Danny asked, looking up at her. She was a quiet little thing who mostly kept to herself, a local girl with her sweep of dark hair and dark eyes. Danny knew who she was and her two boys who often skateboarded in the parking lot. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure." She nodded in the direction of the van. "We've all been noticing that van back there. It's just been sitting there for the last couple of days. Men keep getting in and out of it."

"Yeah, I noticed it too." Danny gave her a quick smile. "You go on back to your apartment, okay? I'll check it out and make sure there isn't anything illegal going on."

"Mahalo. I worry with the boys, you know." She ducked her head, her dark hair falling across her face. Danny watched as she retreated, disappearing around the corner of his building. 

Swearing under his breath, he took out his pistol, pulled the clip and checked the safety. He tossed it in the glove box, pocketing the clip as he climbed out of the car. 

Wisdom dictated this was a mistake but right this moment, Danny no longer cared. He stalked across the parking lot to the van and started pounding on the back door. "Hey, hey, open up, you morons! What? You think I'm so stupid that I can't pick up a surveillance? Huh?" Danny pounded on the door again, his anger boiling over. 

People had stopped and were staring and Danny had no doubt someone was likely calling 911. Good, get a couple of blue and whites here in the parking lot, make it a fucking party. 

"OPEN UP NOW, ASSHOLES!"

The door flung open and Danny found three guys staring at him, hands on their weapons but none drawn. The closest one held up his ID, Danny catching the name Jenkins. 

"You bunch of losers having fun here, huh? Spooking the neighbors? Think you're gonna stumble across something at my sorry excuse of an apartment?" 

The one who flashed his ID glanced at his partners. "Detective Williams—" 

"My daughter is here this weekend, I'm sure you'll get all kinds of kicks out of that! Or should we just get a hotel room so you can go through the place. Although you've probably already done that." 

Two blue and whites came tearing into the parking lot, cutting the sirens as their lights bounced and reflected off of every wall, window and vehicle. Uniforms got out, hands on their weapons but not drawn. 

Danny held up his badge without turning around. "Detective Danny Williams— Five-0!" 

"Detective, we were notified about a possible domestic dispute?" One officer came forward, the other three hanging back but watchful. 

"Well, I haven't bitch slapped anyone yet but it's still a possibility." He finally glanced back over his shoulder at the cop, reading his name. "Officer Wallace, meet the FBI. Several of my neighbors were complaining about a suspicious van that's been hanging out here for the last few days, asked if I'd check it out for them." 

"That a fact?" Wallace came forward, peering at the three men inside. One was pinching the bridge of his nose while the other two glared at Danny. "You gentlemen have a reason for being here? I'm assuming you've notified our department you would be in the area, so this could possibly have been avoided?"

"There's a misunderstanding, that's all, officer." Jenkins offered his ID to Wallace who took it, studying it with a flashlight. "We're sorry for the confusion."

"Detective Williams?" 

"Just looking out for my neighbors, that's all." Danny tossed an icy look at the feds. "You should know, the people around here watch out for each other. Now if you'll excuse me, it's been a long day. What with a sniper shooting up our highways, I'm sure you must have heard. Now there's a real crime." 

***

Danny had come in early after a restless night to look at his lists. He was startled to find Chin Ho already there, sipping coffee and powering up the surface table. "I thought I was going to be the early bird." Danny gave Chin a tired smile as he pushed his hands through his hair. 

"I took a chance that you'd be in early, playing with your theory. I thought I'd offer some help, see if I couldn't set up a few searches to make it easier for you." He nodded toward his office. "And there's a cup of coffee in there with your name on it."

"You, Chin Ho, are a wise and thoughtful man." Danny walked into Chin's office and grabbed the cup, popping the top so he could take a sip. 

When he came back out, Chin was pulling up the lists Danny had been working with. "I've got the names from our sniper's latest spot." He tapped and turned it with his hands so that Danny could look at it. 

"Can you drop any couples, single females, any males under the age of thirty and over the age of sixty-five?" 

Chin made the adjustments with an ease that Danny envied. The surface table often frustrated him. He could do mostly just the basic stuff and not much else. Even sliding things up to the monitors was hit and miss for him. He had no doubt that his eight year old daughter could do more than he could with it. 

"Got it." With a sweep of his hand, Chin pushed the revised list up to the central monitor. "So what is it you're looking for exactly? I can tell you do have something you're piecing together." 

"It still could be nothing."

"Maybe, and maybe not. I can set up any kind of sort you want, Danny, just tell me what it is you need." 

Danny glanced over his shoulder at his friend. Chin leaned his hip against the table edge, arms crossed, waiting on him. "Okay. This is what I'm thinking." 

He laid out what he hoped to find, Chin nodding. They tossed ideas and suggestions back and forth, Chin programming while they talked when Steve swept into the office like a storm front. 

"You mind telling me what the hell happened last night?" Steve snapped, eyes dark, face set in grim lines as he pointed at Danny. 

"Good morning to you too, babe." Danny pushed himself up from where he'd been leaning over the table. 

Chin glanced at both men with curiosity. 

"You know that face doesn't do a thing for you as a rule, but first thing in the morning?" Danny crossed his arms over his chest. 

"My office, now," Steve ground out before stalking off. 

Chin tsk'd. "My, someone's in an eight cylinder huff." 

"Yeah, well, someone probably swiped his latest issue of Guns and Ammo." Danny sighed, then nodded at the lists. "So can you set that up for me?" Danny indicated the lists still displayed.

"No problem, brah." 

***

Steve stood behind his desk, head up as he watched Danny come into his office. He could see his partner was already on the defense, reading the tension across his shoulders and the dark look in his eyes. 

"So what is your problem this morning?" Danny let the door swing shut behind him as he raised his head. 

"I got sandbagged on my way in this morning, by Lukela. Seems you had the local patrol at your apartment last night. He wanted to know what to do with the report. What the hell, Danny?"

"No one was at my apartment last night, Steven! It was at the back of the parking lot where the feds have set up an unmarked van, okay? Not that it's any of your damn business!" Danny had both hands in motion, finally pointing a finger at Steve. 

"It is my business, Danny! A report was filed and your name is in it!" 

"I didn't toss anyone off a roof or into a shark cage, McGarrett, so what's the problem here?" 

"Why didn't you tell me the feds still have your place staked out? What, you can't trust me anymore? I'm not your partner, I'm not your _friend_?" Steve couldn't keep the hurt out of his voice or the frustration. "Damn it, Danny, what is with you lately? Why won't you talk to me? I was there, remember? And I'm here now, but you keep walling me out!"

"What would you have me do, Steven, honestly?" Danny splayed his hands out wide. "Okay, so the feds are watching my apartment! Make you feel better? There isn't anything you can do about this! It happened, it's my family and my mess and there isn't anything you can do to change what happened!"

"You know what, Danny, that's where you're wrong. You have family here now, on this island and I'm not talking just about Grace." Steve pointed out into the main office in Chin's direction. "Like it or not, we care. _I care_. So maybe it's about time you got your head out of your ass and stopped trying to handle this by yourself!"

"Leave it alone, Steven," Danny snapped before grabbing the door and yanking it open. 

"We're not done here yet, Danno," Steve muttered under his breath. "Not by a long shot."

***

Danny sat on the bench in the shade, watching the foot traffic coming and going. The sun streamed down between the palm trees, the grass an impossible green. The colors here never failed to dazzle him. The Iolani Palace that housed Five-0's headquarters loomed large, the front cast in shadow this time of day.

He pocketed his cell phone. He should have called home sooner, spoken to his parents after this all happened but he'd been too much of a coward. He failed at his marriage and then failed with Matty. He just didn't want to explain that to them, even if it was his responsibility to in the first place. 

His parents were devastated by all of it. How could this have happened? Danny didn't have to be there to know his mother was shattered. He could hear it in her voice. He might as well have told her Matty was dead. For all Danny knew, he was. His father was crushed and Danny had no doubt he blamed himself for what happened. That they somehow missed the signs; didn't see something was wrong because maybe they hadn't wanted to. 

There was little Danny could do but offer hollow words over the phone from 5000 miles away. Maybe he should have taken some leave and gone back to New Jersey. This really should have been done in person. But it was hard enough to tell them over the phone. Danny wasn't sure he could hold himself together if he were there in person, shattering their world. 

This was bad enough. 

He lowered his head, eyes closed and sucked in a shaky breath. He couldn't go back into the office yet, not like this. 

And somehow he knew Steve was nearby. 

It didn't happen often and Danny wasn't sure there was any rhyme or reason behind it. But every so often he felt connected somehow with certain people. Grace was a given, he always knew where she was when they were together, yet he never felt it with Rachel. 

Not too long after their tumultuous first meeting, Danny realized he had it with Steve. It was like being tuned in on a different level. He couldn't explain it and gave up trying to examine it years ago, accepting it for what it was. 

Steve sat next to him on the bench, knees touching. He said nothing, apparently waiting Danny out. 

Maybe it was the phone call. The broken hitch in his mother's voice and his father's bewilderment. But all the fight, all the anger and frustration of the last several days fell away, leaving in its wake a sorrow so achy and deep. And Danny had no defenses to fight against it. Exhausted and empty, that's all that seemed left to him now. 

A light breeze played up, stirring the palms, slipping around them with the scent of the ocean. Danny glanced at Steve. His friend sat, arms folded over his chest, legs crossed at the ankle, his attention trained across the rich manicured lawns to the building where they worked. 

There were fresh leis, brilliant pink and stark white, hanging from the outstretched hand of the statue of King Kamehameha. Not for the first time, Danny wondered at who did that and why. And not just this statue either, but all over the city, he'd noticed. 

"How are your parents?" 

"Devastated." Danny shook his head, sucking in a deep breath. 

"I'm sorry, Danny, really I am." 

"I know." Danny let the silence fill in for a few minutes, trying to get the ragged pieces of his world put back together. It was like trying to hold sand in his hands, everything slipping through his fingers. 

"I saw Matty before he left. At the airport." He felt Steve's gaze on him. "I stood there, holding a gun on my brother, trying to reason with him." Danny rubbed his hands over the fabric of his slacks. "I don't know what happened, when it happened, but as I stood there, I realized I didn't recognize the man who looked back at me. The Matt I knew, the one I loved and believed in wasn't looking back at me." Danny shook his head. "He gave me two choices. Shoot him or say goodbye." 

"You said goodbye." 

"I didn't say goodbye. But I let him go." Danny looked at his hands, realized they were shaking. He was shaking. "What else was I supposed to do, Steven?" 

"Why didn't you come to me that night?"

Danny couldn't answer him. There were so many reasons why but the biggest reason being he'd been too vulnerable. He couldn't let Steve or anyone else see that. See who he really was when everything else was stripped away. 

Like now. 

"I don't know any more. I went to Rachel because I didn't know where else to go. But I didn't belong there either." Danny fisted his hands on his thighs. "The thing is, I don't feel like I belong anywhere any more. This place—" Danny swept one arm wide. "I can't go back to New Jersey. I feel like a leaf in a hurricane sometimes. The divorce, Rachel moving here with Grace, leaving my family, now Matty. I swear I can't breathe sometimes."

"Since I met you, I realized you've been shouldering a great deal of guilt and pain and doing your best to keep it locked away. For all I think I know you, you really only give glimpses of yourself." Steve rested his hand on Danny's shoulder. "You said once that if you didn't have Grace, you'd be alone on this island. But you do have more than Grace. You have Kono and Chin Ho." Steve hesitated, waiting until Danny finally looked at him. "You have me and you don't have to keep going at this alone. You belong here, Danny, with us. With me."

Danny looked away, his breath catching, his chest tight. "I don’t know what I'm doing anymore." He wasn't sure he spoke out loud until Steve answered. 

"Then we'll figure it out together."


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey, I was just about to call you." Chin waved Danny and Steve over to the table. Kono was already there, standing beside her cousin. 

"Yeah? You find something?" Danny pushed his sleeves up further on his arms as he looked at the display on the table. 

"No, but you did. You were right and when I sorted the names the way you wanted, this came up at every single shooting." Chin tapped something and a different name on each list highlighted. He tapped a different command, pulling the names to display up on the monitors. 

Steve straightened from where he'd been leaning over the table, right next to Danny. He studied the names, then shook his head. "None of these are the same, how do they tie together?"

"I don't get it either." Kono noted. "What's the connection?"

Danny stepped around Steve and walked up to the monitors, nodding. "It's not a connection. And all these names?" Danny turned to face his teammates. "They are the same guy."

"Danny had me sort out all these lists by initials only." Chin's smile was grim. "Only one combination of the same three initials in the same order showed at every single shooting." He tapped the glossy surface and they watched as the names fell away, leaving only the initials behind. The same three initials from every name. 

**AIM**

"Oh my god." Kono whispered, her eyes going wide. "It's been right there in front of us all this time. How did you know?"

"I didn't." Chin nodded to Danny. "But Danny did."

"You're incredible, you know that?" Steve turned, pointing at Danny. 

"We still don't know who he is, though." Danny shrugged, feeling better now that he could see what he was sure was there all the time. 

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling he was still missing something, something important. 

"No, but we can alert all hotels along the main highways and give them this information. I'm betting he walks up with no reservations, pays in cash and so he can give whatever name he wants. I doubt he even really uses whatever room he gets. He just heads for the roof." Steve looked at the list of hotels that were tagged as the perches for each shooting. "None of these are exclusive or high end hotels." 

"But why book a reservation to begin with?" Kono eased a hip onto the table. "Even with different names, it's still a risk."

"The risk would be minimal. But as a guest, he's less likely to be noticed wandering around, riding the elevators or going upstairs with a bag." Danny waved one hand over the table. "And he has to carry that rifle in somehow."

"If he's military, and I'm pretty sure he is, he's focused on the mission. His mission. He's got this all planned out down to the last detail and law enforcement does not figure into his plans. He's positive we'll always be a few steps behind him so he continues to operate under that assumption." 

Danny didn’t miss the note of quiet anger in Steve's voice. 

"He's arrogant," Chin noted. 

"Someone with his skills? Oh yeah. But thanks to Danny we're a step closer." Steve glanced at Danny, his eyes dark. "This is the break we've been looking for." 

***

They sat stalled in traffic, crawling from light to light, Stan restless and annoyed as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. It seemed everyone was now using the surface roads in an effort to stay off the main highways, thanks to a lunatic who was shooting them up. 

He'd come home earlier today from Boston, with gifts for both his girls. Grace smiled and thanked him and then ran off to her room. Rachel gave him a chaste kiss before retreating to the kitchen with the flowers he'd bought her. 

Something was different but Stan couldn't put a finger on it. Rachel had been pulling away over the last several weeks and becoming more distant. Even more so since the carjacking. 

She blamed him. She never came right out and said as much but he could tell she did. 

And there was Danny Williams, her ex-husband and Grace's father. Stan had seriously misjudged the man. Who does that, though? Gives up everything they know and their family to travel 5000 miles away just to see their daughter every other weekend? Seriously. 

But Williams had, without batting an eyelash. 

And what had started out as pure acrimony between Rachel and her ex had slowly changed over the last few months. And Grace didn't just have her father to worship anymore. Now she had Danny's Five-0 teammates which included McGarrett. 

Stan had only seen the man from a distance a few times. He'd come with Williams when Danny had stopped to pick up his daughter for the weekend and from what Stan could see, the guy was distant and brooding. And dangerous. Grace adored him, though. When Stan asked Rachel if she'd met Danny's new partner, she had said yes and that he'd been charming and polite. 

He glanced at his watch, irritated with the traffic. The on ramp for the highway was coming up and Stan decided it would be just so much easier to jump on and go the last few miles to Waikiki. Rachel wasn't paying attention to him, her head turned to look out the passenger window. Grace sat in the back seat, always the quiet one— not at all like her damned father. She had headphones on and like her mother, looking out the passenger window. 

The light changed and Stan made the decision to take the ramp, swinging around a couple of cars. 

"Stan, what on earth are you doing?" 

"I'm not in the mood to sit in bumper to bumper traffic, Rachel. We'll be late."

"It's a dinner reservation, so what if we're late?"

Well, he had her attention now. Had he known that all it would take was driving on the H1, he'd have gotten on several miles ago. 

"Stanley, Daniel warned that it wasn't safe to take the main highways."

"Well, maybe if he did his job better, we wouldn't have anything to worry about," Stan muttered, glancing in his mirror before switching lanes. 

"Stan! That's not fair!" Rachel looked into the backseat. Grace must not have heard what was said as she continued to listen to her music. "Just take the next exit. I think we should go home." 

"I said I was taking you two out to dinner and I'm going to do just that. You said yourself that it was just a warning from Danny." Stan indicated the traffic around them. "Looks to me like there are plenty of other people who think it's perfectly all right." 

"Stan, I want you to take Grace and me home right now." 

The rear window exploded, glass flying everywhere. Grace screamed, Rachel shouting her name as the car next to them swerved and slammed into them on the passenger side. Stan lost all control as they bounced off the concrete barrier and spun around 180 degrees. He barely had time to register the truck bearing down on them, the windshield a spider web of cracked glass before it hit the Mercedes with enough force to send it rolling over onto the driver’s side, the air bags going off. 

The last thing Stan remembered was Rachel screaming Grace's name before everything blacked out. 

***

It was dusk, everything draped in long shadows that were broken up by the flashing lights of first responders. Steve drove Danny's car, weaving between the wreckage and rescue vehicles, Kono and Chin following behind. 

"We need to catch this bastard. He's having too much fun doing this. Now he's doing it every day," Danny muttered, looking at the mess around them. There were several police cruisers parked up ahead, Steve driving up behind them. 

"We will. We're closer now. Hopefully when I get the customer lists back from the rifle makers, we'll have something that matches." Steve killed the engine before they both climbed out. They waited for Chin and Kono to join them. 

"All right, same as before. Let's try and find out who got hit first and if anyone may have seen something. I'll talk to who's in charge, find out how many fatalities we have," Steve ordered, nodding to all of them. They split up, Danny deciding to walk up toward the head of the mess which was a good half mile further down the highway, Kono coming with him. 

Debris was everywhere, making it tricky to get around the smashed and twisted wrecks of vehicles. Sirens continued wailing, but under it Danny heard the confused voices. He glanced back at Kono. Her face was impassive. He stepped over a bumper, glass crunching under his shoes and reached back, offering his hand to her.

The sun was setting fast. Temporary lights were being set up and turned on, chasing back the approaching darkness. 

"This is the latest in the day he's done this." Danny paused, glancing around as Kono stepped up beside him. Out of nowhere, Grace came to Danny’s mind as if she were nearby. Which was impossible. 

"What?" 

Danny indicated the entire mess, bringing his focus back. "This time of day. He's never shot up the highway this close to dusk before. He picks peak traffic times, when the highways are at their busiest and packed." 

"Looks like he had plenty to shoot at to me," Kono noted. 

"Didn't he though…" Danny trailed off when he saw a dark Mercedes rolled over, half propped up by another car. A red pickup, the front end completely smashed in, rested on the passenger side next to the other two. 

There was an ambulance facing him, the lights slicing through the gathering darkness. One body was draped with a sheet or blanket as it lay nearby. 

And the thought that Grace was somehow nearby became a roar in his head. 

"Danny? What's wrong?"

Something pricked at the back of his mind, a feeling of dread creeping up his spine. He started walking toward the vehicles, his mouth going dry. "Dear God, no, don't let it be them!" He was running now, ducking around police and firemen, flashing his badge when they tried to grab and stop him. 

He saw the license plate and everything went dark around the edges. "Oh my God! RACHEL! GRACE!" He shoved people out of his way, his breath catching, heart pounding. "GRACE!" 

"DANNO!"

He caught the flash of movement, the sweep of hair and then there was his entire world, struggling against an EMT who tried to restrain her. Grace sobbed and twisted, fighting to be put down. 

He rushed up, reaching for her, taking her from the EMT without warning. There must have been a look on his face as the poor guy surrendered Grace without a word of protest. Danny wrapped her up in his arms, going to his knees, his relief so profound. "I got you, I got you, Monkey! It's all right now, Danno's here," he kept repeating, holding her pressed against him as she shook and cried. His own eyes burned with tears. 

"Danny!" He looked up, saw Rachel only a few short yards away, being treated as she sat on the back of the ambulance. Her face was streaked with tears, dirt and blood, her dark colored blouse ripped at the shoulder as she held her right arm against her chest. She stood, pale and shaky, the EMT tending to her trying to make her sit back down. 

Steve appeared beside him, kneeling next him, putting a strong hand on his shoulder. "Hey, hey, it's okay." He stroked a hand through Grace's tangled hair. "I gotcha, I gotcha both."

Kono and Chin went to Rachel, Kono taking her hands, Chin speaking softly to her as he coaxed her to sit back down. 

Steve glanced at the EMT, then showed his badge. "Is she okay?" indicating Grace. 

"She's fine, just badly frightened. She's got some minor cuts and bruising but nothing serious enough to be overly concerned." He looked at Danny. "We'll need to take her mother to the ER, have her arm looked at. They both should go. Her father was unconscious— he's already been sent ahead."

"I'm her father," Danny ground out, glaring at the EMT who took a careful step back. 

"Danny, it's okay." Steve squeezed his shoulder. "You ride in with Rachel and Grace. We'll finish up here and then meet you there, okay?" 

There wasn't any way anyone would take Grace from him for the foreseeable future, so Danny nodded. He felt so numb. He met Steve's gaze, found his understanding and drew on that. After a few moments, Steve helped him to his feet, all three of them joining Rachel, Chin and Kono. 

"I warned Stan that it wasn't a good idea, that we should get right back off. I wanted to go home. Then the back windshield shattered…" Rachel hesitated when Danny and Steve came up, Grace still wrapped around him tightly. "I honestly don't remember much else. It's all a blur." She looked up at him, trembling, her eyes dark and glazed. Danny recognized the edges of shock. "Danny, I'm so sorry."

***

Steve found Danny in one of the quieter waiting rooms, Grace still in his arms, hers wrapped around his neck. She looked pale, dark bruising under her eyes and she appeared to be asleep. Danny walked and rocked her, whispering as he stroked her hair. Steve spotted a couple of bright pink band-aids on her legs, matching what had been a pretty pink and white dress. 

"Hey, how is she?" He silently offered to take her and was surprised when Danny actually let him. She was asleep, although she woke enough to look at Steve with sleepy eyes. "Hey kiddo, just Uncle Steve." She settled against him with a sigh. 

Danny shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked like a wreck with his hair a mess, his shirt creased and streaked in dirt and grime. Steve could see the exhaustion in his friend's eyes. "Doc says she's fine. She'll be sore for a few days. She has some nicks and minor cuts from all the flying glass. Thankfully, nothing worse." 

"And Rachel?" 

"The arm's not broken but she'll have bone deep bruising. She got some stitches too, but she doesn't have to spend the night. When they're finished with her, I'm gonna take them home." Danny looked past Steve to see Chin and Kono come in. "Stan's got a concussion. They're keeping him overnight." 

"How are _you_ doing?" Kono rested her hand on Danny's arm. 

"I've been better." He gave her a tight smile. "Do we know anything yet?"

"We know the car that got hit first. Like last time, two people shot. Only one traffic fatality as a result of the pile-up. We don't know what roof he used yet." Chin squeezed one of Grace's hands as he stood behind Steve. "From what we can tell, Stan and Rachel's car were more in the middle of the traffic. But the back window was definitely shot out."

"Danny, we're gonna get this guy, you know that." Steve stroked the little girl's hair, watching Danny with concern. His friend was a mess of emotions, he could see it in the other man's eyes. The only thing keeping him steady was the fact that Grace was there with him but Steve knew Danny very well. And Danny was way too quiet. "You going to keep Grace with you tonight?" 

"No. I'm just going to bring her and Rachel back to the house." Danny shook his head. "Besides, I've got new lists to look at." 

Steve didn't miss the edge in Danny's voice. Neither did Chin or Kono who gave each other a quick look. There was something else too, something Danny left unsaid but Steve got the feeling it had to do with Stan Edwards. 

"I'm gonna check on Rachel, see if she's ready to go." 

*** 

They brought Rachel and Grace back in Danny's car, Steve driving. Danny sat in the back with his daughter. Rachel was pale and bruised with her arm in a sling. She said nothing, only thanking Steve who helped her into the car after Danny and Grace were settled. 

It was close to midnight, the skies overhead clear. Steve stayed back with the car, resting his backside against the hood, arms crossed as he waited for Danny. A light breeze played around him, stirring the palms as he waited. 

Danny didn't keep him long which surprised Steve. He figured he'd linger with his daughter and ex-wife and Steve would never begrudge him that. But in less than five minutes, Danny came back out, pulling the large door shut behind him. 

Steve always admired the way Danny moved, that swagger he had. There was none of that tonight, though, no head and shoulders back, arms swinging strut his friend normally had. Instead, Steve saw a mixture of bewilderment and anger all overlaid with exhaustion. His friend had been put through the emotional mill tonight. 

Danny came up to him, eyes dark, looking like the mess he must feel like inside. 

"They settled?"

"Yeah. They're fine." Danny looked past Steve, hands shoved in his pockets, his shoulders stiff, his whole body radiating tension and exhaustion. "I could cheerfully strangle Stan for this. God knows I want to right now."

Steve couldn't blame him. "I'll hold him down for you." What he really wanted was to hold Danny. "Listen, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go back to your place tonight."

"Meaning?" Danny still wasn't looking at him. 

"Come home with me instead." Now Danny looked at him. "Stay with me." He took a chance and reached over, laying the back of his hand against Danny's cheek. It was simple and yet intensely intimate. He held his breath, waiting for the explosion. 

Danny met his gaze, his eyes filled with a riot of emotions. "Steve, do you understand what you're asking?" 

“Yeah, I think I do. Listen, I don’t want you to be alone tonight. The truth is, neither do I.” He rubbed his thumb along the edge of Danny’s jaw, the stubble rough against his skin. “Just come stay. We don’t have to figure anything out tonight.”


	8. Chapter 8

Danny didn’t remember much of the ride home. He felt numb, exhausted and wrung out. So much had been thrown at him in just the last week, let alone the last year. It was like being tossed out into the middle of the ocean— he could only swim or tread water for so long before he sank. 

He was starting to sink now and he knew it. But he didn’t have the energy to fight it anymore. Whatever he had left slipped away back in that waiting room while he held his daughter, relieved beyond words that she was alive and okay.

He’d been here before, this emotional mess, and recognized the signs. The difference now was Matty wasn’t here to pick up the pieces and get him through it. 

Instead it was Steve and Danny didn’t know what to do about that. He didn’t know how he would survive it should this go wrong between them. The only thing he knew now was he couldn’t fight it anymore. 

A breeze slipped past him, playing with the curtains as Danny stood, staring out over the dark ocean. Steve had told him to go on up. He’d be right behind, just had to check a few things. So here Danny was in Steve’s bedroom, standing at the threshold that led to the second story deck. Or whatever they called it here in Hawaii. 

He hadn’t done anything more than step out of his shoes and strip the tie off. Something had drawn him across the room to stand listening to the surf, the ocean inky black in the moonless night. 

Steve came up behind him, lightly touching Danny’s shoulder before sliding his hands down his arms. Danny felt the heat of the other man’s body and closed his eyes, ducking his head. Steve wasn’t pressed up against him; Danny could tell he was being careful, unsure of what to do and what Danny wanted. 

“You okay?” Steve rested his hands on Danny’s hips, his breath warm against the back of his neck. 

Danny nodded. Covering Steve’s hands with his own, he laced their fingers and tugged Steve closer, needing the full body contact, letting Steve know it was okay. “Yeah, babe, it’s fine.” 

He leaned back against Steve, drawing a deep breath. It had been a long time since he’d been with anyone. Rachel actually and there had been no one since, even after the divorce. Danny simply wasn’t interested, not even for the release sex gave. And he wasn’t ready for a relationship. 

He wasn’t sure he was now but he hadn’t counted on Steve. The truth was, Danny could no longer ignore what was going on between them. Bad idea, good idea, he no longer knew. It was what it was and past time to face it. 

But it had been a long time. And even longer since he’d been with another man. Even so, Danny was willing to bet this was a first for Steve. 

He didn’t want to think about this anymore. “I’m so sick of being alone.”

“Then don’t be.” Steve whispered against his neck, rubbing his cheek against the nape, the sensation thrilling down Danny’s spine when Steve pressed a soft kiss there. 

Danny turned, facing Steve, sliding one hand over the back of Steve’s neck as he pressed against him, pulling him into a first kiss. Not like a few days ago, Danny didn’t count that. That had been anger and frustration acting out. 

This, _this_ was something altogether different. And a long time coming. 

Steve responded with a soft moan, pulling Danny against him with an arm wrapped around his waist. He cupped Danny’s face, opening his mouth under Danny’s with another soft sound. 

Danny slid his tongue over Steve’s, tasting him, feeling him, tangling one hand in his hair. Steve was warm and solid and real. This was real. He gently nipped Steve’s bottom lip before nuzzling, rubbing his cheek against Steve’s. Christ, he had so missed this, the contact, the intimacy of being with a lover. Danny needed to touch, to be touched in return. He’d denied himself for too long, he knew that. 

And here was Steve— all unmapped territory. 

They stood, holding each other, Steve resting his forehead against Danny’s. “You’ve done this before?” Steve had one hand on Danny’s chest. 

“Sex? Sure. I’ve even got the daughter to prove it.”

“Cute, real cute, Danny.” Steve shifted against him, something flickering in his eyes that made Danny regret the lightness. 

“Yeah, before Rachel, I’d been in a few relationships with men. I’ve been on both sides of the door. But not since I met her.” Danny slid one hand under Steve’s shirt, heard Steve’s breath catch. “But I’m betting you haven’t, have you?” He tugged at the hem, wanting it off, wanting to explore all that skin with more than just his hands. 

“It was too dangerous, especially in my position. And I never met anyone I felt worth that kind of risk.” He shook his head. “It was easy to bury, to deny it, to convince myself it was nothing. Then you crashed into my life. And I didn’t want to fight it anymore.” Steve moved back enough to pull his shirt off over his head, Danny taking in the sight. 

It wasn’t like Danny hadn’t seen Steve strip his shirt off in the blink of an eye all the time. But this time, it was just the two of them and he was all Danny’s. He traced his fingers, feather light, over the inked patterns on one shoulder, followed it down the bicep. 

“There’s a story behind these, I’m sure.” Danny kept following the edge with one finger. He’d been fascinated by the intricate details and colors for months, longing, aching to do just this— touch. 

Steve kissed him in reply, this one more hungry than the first, murmuring something against Danny’s mouth before he took possession with a soft moan. He worked at the buttons of Danny’s shirt even as the kiss deepened into something more. 

Buttons finally dealt with, Steve broke their kiss, easing Danny’s shirt back and off his shoulders with both hands. “Christ, Danny, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted you like this, without the damned shirt and tie.” 

Danny didn’t say anything, instead sliding his hands over Steve’s chest. He palmed one nipple, flicking his thumb over the tip and was rewarded with Steve sucking in a startled breath. He looked up, meeting the other man’s eyes, Steve’s wide and dark with his arousal. 

Sweet Christ, he was incredibly responsive and Danny had barely touched him. “Come here…” he whispered, stepping into him, nudging his knee between Steve’s legs as he pulled him into a deep kiss. He could feel Steve’s erection, hot and hard through the fabric of their pants as he ground his own against him. Steve groaned and ground back, hands on Danny’s hips. 

They ended the kiss when they both needed to breathe, Danny nipping along the edge of Steve’s jaw before licking and kissing his way to the base of his throat. Steve rolled his head back on his shoulders, giving Danny all the access he wanted. Danny gently nipped a mark on the soft skin of Steve’s neck, smiling at the sound the other man made, feeling it more than hearing it. 

He switched his attention, licking over one nipple as he slid the tips of his fingers over the other. Steve moved against him, restless, shivering with the sensations Danny created. Steve cupped his face, nudging him to look up, pulling Danny into a heady kiss with a deep groan. Danny let himself surrender to it, letting Steve have the lead. Steve licked his way into Danny’s mouth, hungry, needy, snatching Danny’s breath away as he framed Danny’s face in his hands. 

Danny gave as good as he got, matching Steve’s need with one that until now he’d suppressed and done his best to ignore. But the walls were down and Danny didn’t have to dodge the truth about what he felt. Everything he wanted and needed since coming to this island was here in front of him. 

Steve slipped his fingers under the waistband of Danny’s slacks at his hip. He nuzzled, rubbing his cheek against Danny’s, pressing a quick kiss against his lips. 

Danny reached up, cupping Steve’s face in one hand. Steve met his gaze, lips parted, his breath catching when Danny gently swept his thumb over his cheek. “You up to moving this to the bed?” 

He felt Steve swallow, felt the other man’s hesitation even as he saw the indecision flicker in the slate blue eyes. It had been one thing to be standing here, kissing, touching and exploring. The whole dynamic would change if they took this to the bed. 

Danny leaned in with a gentle, simple kiss. When they parted, he rubbed his thumb lightly over Steve’s lips. “Slow and easy, nothing complicated, okay?” He rested his forehead against Steve’s, Steve’s breath warm against his fingers. 

Closing his eyes, Steve leaned into the caress and nodded. 

Another quick kiss and then Danny nudged Steve in the direction of the bed, only a few feet away. He reached between them, hands sliding over the warm skin of Steve’s stomach, finding and undoing the buttons and zipper. He undid his own in the next breath, sliding them and the boxers off his hips, stepping out of them as Steve watched him with dark eyes. 

Steve hesitated, then pulled his own off, tossing them over the arm of a nearby chair. 

Wow, but the man was magnificent without a stitch on. Those fucking cargos did a fabulous job of hiding Steve’s rather spectacular attributes. From the cut of his narrow hips to the strong legs and impressive erection, the man was seriously put together in all the right places, no doubt about it. “God, you’re beautiful,” Danny shook his head. “Come here, you.” 

Joining Danny, Steve gave him one of those sweet goofball smiles that made him so hard to resist. “You stack up pretty well yourself. But then I’ve been admiring that ass of yours for months.” He let Danny pull him close, finally coming together with nothing between them, not even clothes. 

Hips and thighs fitting together, skin on skin, cocks sliding and rubbing, slick and hot. The sensation shot through Danny’s body like an electric shock, making him gasp. Steve froze, eyes huge. Danny moved against him, grinding. He couldn’t help it and Steve responded with a full body shiver and a deep groan. Reaching up, Danny pulled him into a wild messy kiss even as he nudged Steve down to the bed. 

Still kissing, he followed Steve as he pushed back into the middle of the bed. Steve tugged him down, Danny settling between his legs. They broke the kiss, both panting, Steve flushed and eyes wide. Danny thrust against him, cocks slick with pre-come and Steve groaned, tossing his head back, arching under Danny, instinctively seeking more friction. 

“Oh my God, Danny—“ 

“I got you…” Danny shifted for better leverage, putting a hand on Steve’s hip. “Meet me halfway here, Steve.” 

Steve bucked up, Danny moving with him, helping him, encouraging Steve to find his rhythm against him. The sensation was beyond incredible, spiking through Danny with each thrust. The slick heat and friction had him racing toward a monster climax. They were both covered with sweat, Steve shaking and groaning under him, head still back, fingers digging into Danny’s shoulders where he hung on. 

Danny wasn’t going to last long and neither was Steve if he was any judge of the way Steve was starting to come apart under him. Everything was pooling at the base of his spine, Danny on the edge but not quite close enough to go over. “Steve, look me,” he whispered, touching Steve’s face. “Steve, come on, look at me!” 

“Danny!” Steve gasped, finally looking at him. His eyes were all pupil, filled with a wild riot of emotions. 

Danny stopped grinding and thrusting against Steve. He shifted his weight, got up on his hands over Steve’s shoulders. He lowered his head, his face only a few inches from Steve’s. Danny captured and held his gaze. “Don’t look away from me.”

“Oh my God, Danny—“

“Don’t look away from me!” He ground down, Steve biting back a shout. “I want to see you come apart under me.” 

“Fuck, Danny!” Steve bit down on the words when Danny started to buck and thrust against him again. 

The change in position gave Danny better leverage, Steve thrusting back against him. Danny could see it in Steve’s eyes, feel it in the erratic buck of his hips. He had Steve at the edge, dancing along that knife’s edge. 

He saw it, the breathless moment, was there himself as they stared at each other, faces so close their breath mingled. “Come with me…” he whispered. He watched Steve fall over that edge, felt his release as Steve cried out, taking Danny with him. The intensity swept over Danny, blurring and whiting everything out. 

They stayed where they were, Danny catching his breath, blinking and clearing his vision. Steve lay sprawled under him, eyes closed, still shaking. It took a moment for Danny to realize he was too. 

Sweet Christ, he couldn’t remember an orgasm that intense in years. Okay, maybe he could attribute it to no sex with a partner for the last few years but still… wow. 

Danny eased off of Steve, moving to his side, feeling sticky and sweaty. Steve reached for him, half sitting up, confusion in those dark eyes. “Where you going— Danny, don’t go, please!”

“Whoa, easy, I’m not going anywhere, babe.” Danny put his hand on Steve’s chest. This was the last thing he expected from Steve and it made him wonder. “It’s all okay.” 

***

Danny woke before Steve, glancing out the still wide open doors. A light breeze played with the curtains, bringing in the scent of the ocean. It was still dark, sunrise barely smudging the horizon. 

He needed to go. 

He eased out of bed, looking for his clothes. He was pulling his pants on when Steve rolled onto his back then sat up. 

"I thought you were staying." 

Danny glanced at him. "I did, babe. Now it's morning and I gotta go. I can't show up at the office like this." He held up his filthy dress shirt. "Besides, I want to check on Grace before I come in." 

"Danny, that's not all of it, is it?" 

Danny didn't miss the note of confusion in Steve's voice as he shoved his tie in his pocket. His badge and wallet were on the dresser. He sat down in a chair to pull his socks and shoes on and looked up at Steve. 

He was nothing short of drop dead gorgeous, sitting there with the sheet rucked up around his hips, his hair a mess. He could be posing for a calendar shoot looking like that. _Out of Uniform, Honolulu's Finest._

Danny felt the pull, the urge to go to him and kiss that amazing mouth. Instead he glanced away. 

"No, it's not. I wasn't planning on this." He stood up, grabbed his things off the dresser. 

"So this was a mistake." 

"I'm not saying that!" Danny shoved his hands through the wreck that was his hair. "Damn it, Steven, just give me some breathing room, okay? My daughter was hurt last night, I'm still dealing with Matt— I just— I need to think about this is all." 

"Okay, if that's what you want." Steve stayed where he was, his eyes dark and unreadable in the early morning shadows. 

"I don't do one night stands, Steven. I don’t do casual sex. And you're still my boss." 

Steve said nothing, the silence screaming at Danny. 

"I'm not saying I don’t want this, okay? The fact is, I've wanted it, wanted you, for quite a while." Danny shook his head. "But I don't want just sex, okay? And I'm not sure what a relationship would mean for you. For both of us. It's not like we both don't come with a boatload of baggage." 

Steve still said nothing. 

Danny sighed. "Have Chin give you a ride in. I'll see you at headquarters." 

***

Steve watched the scenery flash by as Chin Ho drove. His friend didn't ask questions when Steve had called, saying he needed a ride in because his truck was still at headquarters. He was quiet now although Steve didn't miss the curious glances tossed his way. 

He didn't know what to think about Danny or what to do. It wasn't like this was easy for Steve and where he came from. He certainly wasn't interested in some casual sex either. It bothered him that Danny thought that’s all Steve was in for. And even if he convinced Danny that he wanted something more, he couldn't change the fact that yeah, he was his boss. 

Steve knew it was an excuse, a real one, but an excuse all the same. If they both wanted what had been brewing between them for months, his being Danny's boss could be worked with. An understanding could be reached if Danny was willing. 

"You gonna tell me what happened last night or do you want me to tell you what I _think_ happened?" 

They were sitting at a light, waiting in traffic. It was still early but the streets were already crowded. People were avoiding the main highways as much as possible. 

"What makes you think something happened?" Steve watched as several teenagers, dressed in T-shirts and shorts, skateboarded past, likely on their way to school judging by the backpacks they carried. 

"Well, you're chewing through your bottom lip for one thing. And not that I mind, but normally Danny would pick you up." The light changed and Chin followed the traffic through the intersection. "What's been happening between you two has been coming to a head for awhile now." 

"I'm not in the mood for your cryptic observations." That came out sharper than he meant it to. 

"Okay, I'm all for bluntness." Chin switched lanes and pulled up to another light. "You slept with Danny last night." 

"And you think you can pass judgment on that." 

"If you think I have a problem with you sleeping with men, you are sorely mistaken, brah. My concern is for Danny." Chin pulled into the parking lot of Five-0's headquarters. 

"Because he has a daughter? Or I'm his boss? You think he's straight and I'm leading him down the path to Hell? What is it, Chin?" 

"Because he's afraid and he has every right to be! He's got one failed marriage and we all know how that affects him." Chin hit the brakes and slammed the car in park before turning and pinning Steve with a dark look. "He's the kind of guy who doesn't do things by halves, McGarrett." 

"I wasn't looking for a quick fuck here, Chin, not that it's any of your business! I don't have a problem with a long term relationship, but apparently Danny does!" 

"And did it ever occur to you that maybe he's not ready?"

"You know what, Chin, I don't need your advice or approval." Steve shoved the door open, climbing out, Chin quick to do the same. 

"That's too bad, you'll get it anyway." Chin slammed the door. "I don't have a problem with you and Danny and I never did. And I've known for quite some time Danny wasn't straight. All I'm saying is that maybe he's not in the right frame of mind for this. You want a lifetime with him, that's great, I'm all for it." Chin spread his arms wide. "You both deserve to be happy. But push him now, when he's still dealing with everything and you'll lose him. We all will." 

***

Steve looked up from his desk when Danny swept into the office. He was in clean dress pants and yellow button down shirt, the sleeves rolled to the elbows and his usual tie loosely knotted around his neck. 

"Hey, Danny, how's Grace and Rachel?" Chin Ho greeted him with his usual quiet tone, laced with honest concern.

"They're both sore and bruised. Rachel's keeping her home from school." Danny shrugged, running his hand over his hair. "But they're okay." 

"That's good news then, brah!" 

"Yeah, it is." Danny walked over to Steve's office, pausing at the door which was propped wide open. "Hey."

"Hey. I'm glad Rachel and Grace are doing good." Steve waved Danny in, hoping the other man wouldn't brush him off. "Really, Danno." 

"I know you do." He hesitated, glancing back over his shoulder to where Chin stood by the surface table, Kono now with him. He had his head up and eyes narrowed but the look was for Steve. "Listen, Rachel is coming by later with Grace. She needs to give a witness statement at HPD and I told her I'd walk her over. You know, be there for her."

"That's good, you should be there for both of them." Steve wanted to say more, about last night, about this morning but he didn't know how to approach it. "Listen, Danny—"

"We need to talk." Danny tugged the door, letting it close behind him. 

Steve said nothing, waiting for the ax to fall as it were. He sat back in his chair, watching Danny. 

"I don't want to get into what happened last night here, not in the office, but I need you to understand this; I wasn't running out this morning. I'm not entirely sure what we did was a good idea—" He held up his hand when Steve opened his mouth so Steve nodded, letting Danny have his say. "It’s happened, though, and pretending it didn't is impossible."

"What do you want, Danny?" Steve rose and came around his desk which put him right in Danny's personal space but the other man didn't back away. Instead he looked at Steve with a mixture of exhaustion and bewilderment. 

"Honestly? I wish things were different and that this wasn't as complicated as it is. You're my boss, Steven. And it's not exactly a secret I got the legs kicked out from under me emotionally when Rachel and I split." 

"I get that, Danny," Steve moved closer to him, leaving only inches between them. But he didn't touch his friend. "This isn't what I planned either. And up until I met you, I didn't have a problem pretending and hiding the truth from myself." This close, Steve could smell the sharp scent of whatever soap Danny used mixed with his cologne. "What do you want from me, Danny? I don't want to keep hurting you but somehow I feel that's all I've been doing lately."

"It's not you."

"Then tell me. It's not like I know what I'm doing here. This isn't something I come to lightly, not with being in the military." Steve hesitated, struggling to find what he needed to say and worried it would come out all wrong. "I'm not trying to push you into something. You have concerns, I get that, more than you think I do. But Danny, so do I." Christ, he was fumbling this. "We need to talk this out, put it all out on the table, can we at least do that?" 

Danny scrubbed his face with his hands. He looked tired and worn, the energy that was normally so much a part of who his friend was, muted. 

"Yes, we can do that. Just not here."

Steve took a chance and reached out, touching Danny's shoulder. Danny glanced up at him, a tangle of emotions in his eyes. 

"Then please, come by after work." Steve shook his head. "I need to tell you a few things. I need you to listen." 

Danny nodded, shrugging his shoulders. "I can do that."


	9. Chapter 9

Danny was in his office, reviewing the times and places of the shootings to see if he could find a pattern. Steve had said this guy wasn't random in his choice of perches. He would have planned them out, picked the best sight lines and angles. 

He wouldn't want to be accidentally seen, either. That wasn't part of the plan. So his choices were well researched and well thought out. 

Danny was inclined to agree that this pointed more and more at a military trained sniper. That didn't mean the guy didn't go into law enforcement after serving out a hitch in whatever branch. In fact, Danny considered that a possible theory worth pursuing. Remembering a pair of brothers from the neighborhood he grew up in, Danny got up and went over to Steve's office, pushing the door open. 

Steve was on the phone. Danny knew he was running down his own angle on what he felt were the most likely rifles being used— high end and in some cases, only custom made. But getting a manufacturer to produce a client list wasn't necessarily going to be easy. Steve waved Danny in and he sat on the couch, stretching his legs and rolling his shoulders as he listened to Steve. 

"I appreciate that. I will keep the list confidential." Steve was standing, pacing as he spoke. "Yes, the last two years. Personal, not law enforcement or military requisitioned." 

Danny leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. 

"Yes. Yes, I understand. We are not looking to blame anyone here. And I don't know if it was one of your rifles— I am talking to four other manufacturers." Steve raked a hand through his hair, still pacing. "Thank you, yes, I appreciate your cooperation. Today if at all possible." 

Steve hung up, shaking his head and muttering under his breath. 

"Not too happy about handing over the client list?" 

"More worried about being sued by victims and families should the rifle be traced back to them." Steve came around his desk and sat on the corner. "You got something?" 

"Just some questions I know you would have answers to, being in the military." 

Steve raised an eyebrow at that but waited for Danny to continue. 

"Most guys join up when they are eighteen, nineteen? College not for them or they can't afford it, want to see the world, family destiny…" Danny waved both hands. "Any number of reasons, right?” 

"It goes without saying that yes, you join the military young, under the age of twenty-five." Steve shrugged. "I did. My father was Navy, so was my grandfather. It wasn't my entire reason for signing up, but it was part of the reason I picked the Navy rather than Army or Marines." 

"You get a full retirement after twenty years, right?" 

"Yeah. But if you are a 'lifer', and you would be if you stick for twenty, there is a good chance you'd stay past that. Why you asking?"

Danny sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. "There were a pair of twins I worked with on the force back in Newark. Nice guys, good cops. They'd been Marines for twenty, joined up right out of high school. Once they got their twenty though, they left and are now law enforcement. It was a miserably cold day, sleeting and I'm standing under an awning with Bobby, warming my hands on a cup of cheap coffee. Anyway, I asked him why he joined the NPD."

"He'd have been 38, 39 when he got out of the Marines," Steve noted. 

"Actually, 37. The two joined at seventeen, parents agreed to it. That's another story, though. Anyway, he told me that he was way too young to hang it up— his words, not mine— and that law enforcement was a good fit. Besides, he'd have two full pensions before he turned sixty."

"There are a lot of former military in law enforcement, Danny. Where you going with this?"

"I think you're right, I think the guy we are after is military trained. But I'm thinking he's not military now." 

Steve considered that for a moment. "You think he's law enforcement now." 

"I think he knows the angles too well. I think he's got the training, discipline and background the military would have given him. But the knowledge only a local cop would have of the city." 

Steve nodded. "We need a list of law enforcement on this island with former military service."

"That would be a good sized list. But we might narrow it down to guys who were Special Forces types. And who did more than a few years in the military. I think that would be our best place to at least start." Danny hesitated. "This will piss a lot of cops off, though, if they find out Five-0 is trying to pin this on one of theirs."

"I'll talk to the Governor. See if we can't get the information without creating a backlash." Steve looked up, then nodded to Danny. "Rachel and Grace are here." 

***

Steve followed Danny out of his office, but hung back to give them some privacy. Rachel looked pale, with shadows under her eyes and a livid bruise filling in across one cheek. She held Grace's hand, Danny's daughter looking shy and nervous. 

Chin and Kono had been working at the table, but both, like Steve, now watched as Danny gathered Grace up in his arms. Putting Grace on his hip, Danny then touched Rachel, gently pushing her hair off her face. It was a tender and intimate gesture, an echo of what they once were to each other. 

Steve felt like an intruder, glancing away only to find Chin looking at him with narrowed eyes. He drew his attention back to Danny and his family when he heard his name. Danny was talking to Grace, asking her if she wouldn't mind staying with Uncle Steve for a little bit. Saying nothing, Grace clung to him instead. Danny stroked her hair, said something to Rachel then carried his daughter over to where Steve still stood. 

"Hey, Gracie," Steve smiled at her. She remained silent, her eyes large and dark. 

"I'd like to leave her here while Rachel gives her statement." 

"Sure. She can hang out in my office, keep me company." Steve gave her another smile. 

"How about it, Monkey?" Danny nodded to Steve. "I know you like Uncle Steve. And well, I have it first hand that Chin and Kono are a lot of fun." 

"You won't be gone long?" She barely spoke above a whisper. 

"No more than an hour, tops. I promise." Danny glanced at Steve. "You trust Uncle Steve? We talked about this, right? That you can trust my friends?" 

She nodded after a moment. 

"Okay then." Danny pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Come here, kiddo." Steve took her from Danny, settling her on his hip the same way Danny did. "We'll be fine." 

"Thanks, I appreciate you doing this." Danny gave her another quick kiss, then walked back to Rachel. 

"Why don't we see what kind of trouble we can get into before your mom and dad get back, huh?" 

"I heard that, McGarrett! No teaching her how to rappel off the roof or any of your other craziness." Danny stood next to Rachel, her hand on his arm. 

"Geesh, you got it all wrong, Danno." Steve gave Grace a mischievous grin. "I would never do such a thing." 

"Uh huh. Don't think I'm not on to your ways."

Steve winked at Grace, finally getting a shy smile from her. "I would never do such a thing, Danno. I'd have Kono do it instead."

"I don't want to know, do you hear me?" Danny threw his hands up in the air as he looked heavenward as if seeking patience. Kono and Chin were both grinning. "Just try not to end up on the news while I'm gone, can you do that?" 

"Tsk. Your father doesn't know how to have any fun, does he?" 

***

Steve worked with Chin, updating a map of the city with times and places of the shootings. It was becoming apparent the guy didn't use the same place twice and that in addition to the recent deaths, the damage and amount of vehicles involved were also on the rise. The only thing they could be sure about at this point was that he hit within the city and Waikiki and always on the H1 and Ala Moana Boulevard. 

But this latest one, the one last night that involved Rachel and Grace, broke the pattern in more than a few ways. The time of day, dusk, was a first. And they couldn't find a hotel that lined up with the shooter's trajectory. The lists from the hotels in the area didn't provide the initials either that had come up in the previous incidents. 

Either the guy changed his pattern or they had been wrong in what they put together. Steve doubted they were wrong— when it came to things like this, Danny knew how and where to see the patterns. He excelled at it. This meant that their shooter was changing things up. It would be deliberate and just enough to shake everything up. 

He was smart and patient. And Danny was right— he knew the angles too well. Why else break pattern now? 

"Everything indicates that he would have been here—" Chin tapped a point on the map and brought up an office building. "Which doesn't make sense." 

Steve glanced across the table to where Grace sat on the far side, playing _Angry Birds._ Chin had set her up, letting her have a portion to get her mind off the fact that her parents weren't nearby. She was obviously still shaken up by last night's events. But Chin knew how to draw a smile out of her and had Steve set her right on the table itself while he did a bit of quick programming and brought up the popular game. 

That earned both Steve and Chin a smile that made it completely worth the effort. 

"It doesn't make sense unless he's still active law enforcement." Steve shook his head. "Danny was thinking the guy was retired military and could now be a cop." 

"How so?'

"Think about it— right when we finally find a pattern, we alert local and state police and send out the same alert to all the hotels along these highways. And the next shooting?" 

"He changes his time and type of perch. If he's a cop, he'd know we were getting closer." 

Governor Jamison came through the doors at that point, sweeping into the office in a dark suit and low heels. Both men looked up, as did Grace, who froze for a moment, staring at what was to her a complete stranger. 

"Commander McGarrett—" Jamison paused, her gaze falling on Grace. "And who do we have here?" 

Grace scrambled off the table, reaching for Steve who came around and grabbed her up. "It's okay, Gracie," he whispered before looking at Jamison. "Governor, I wasn't expecting you." 

"Clearly." She cocked her head and crossed her arms, then stepped close enough to see the game still activated on what was a very expensive piece of equipment. 

Chin coughed as he reached over and wiped it off with a couple of quick taps. 

Jamison, arms still crossed, raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. 

"She's my daughter." Danny spoke from behind Steve. He'd come in the other entrance with Rachel who now hung back. 

"Danno!" Grace reached for her father as he joined Steve. 

"Hey, Monkey." Danny took her from Steve, giving her a quick kiss before nodding to Jamison. "My daughter and ex-wife were involved in last night's shooting. I asked Steve to watch her for a few minutes so that Rachel could give her statement over at HPD." 

"Of course. And my apologies— I didn't know." Jamison smiled warmly at Grace who hung onto Danny like her life depended on it. "You had a pretty impressive score there, young lady." She winked at Grace. 

"Governor Jamison, why don't you come with me so I can update you on where we are with the investigation," Steve asked, motioning for Jamison to join him in his office. He was so damn busted and he knew it. He held open his door for her. 

"At ease, Commander. I'm more interested in where we are with catching the sniper than if you can beat her score or not." 

Steve stared at her a moment before glancing back at Danny, Grace and Chin with an exaggerated look of relief. 

***

Danny shoved the door shut behind him, then sagged against it, soaked to the skin and exhausted beyond words. Rainwater pooled and soaked into the rug in his apartment. There wasn't anything left after spending the rest of the afternoon at yet another freeway shooting— this one during a deluge that had swept onshore shortly after Rachel and Grace had left. 

Danny remembered standing at his office window, watching the rain stream down and actually being grateful for once because surely the sniper wouldn't hit during the torrential downpour. 

He'd been wrong. So had the three new victims who had been shot and killed. Not to mention the forty some others who'd been caught up in the attack. The scene tossed Danny back to those wild moments when his own window had been shot out, Kono's startled cry, the scream of the tires as he tried not to hit the minivan in front of him as the passenger window exploded. 

But this time it was different. Like the attack last night. This time the bastard struck in the heavy rain. He was changing things up, making it harder to pin him down. As Danny knelt in a pool of rainwater, soaked, calming a young father who held his two frightened sons close to him, he swore he was going to beat the hell out of the bastard when they did catch him. 

It would be too late for the father and his boys, though. Their mother was dead. An older businessman who'd only got to Honolulu the day before and a teenage boy who'd recently got his license were also dead. 

Danny was sick to his soul. It had taken hours to sort everything out and interview those who could talk. It left him drained and miserable. He did manage to find enough energy to flip off his FBI watchers who still sat in the van across the parking lot, but even that was half hearted. He turned his back on them, unlocked his door and went in. 

Now he didn't have the energy to do anything but stand there, shaking with fatigue, cursing Matty under his breath for the fucked up mess he'd left for Danny. Fumbling in his pants pockets, he emptied them of everything: cellphone, loose change, cuffs, wallet, badge, one of Grace's pink hair clips and dumped them on his unmade bed. He hadn't bothered to fold up the sleeper sofa. Hell, he hadn't bothered in days. The rest of the place was a complete wreck as well and right now he couldn’t care less. 

He kicked off his shoes as he loosened his tie, both ruined. He shed the rest of his soaked clothes in the bathroom, fighting the buttons on his shirt with shaky fingers until he hissed his frustration and yanked it open, tearing the material and sending buttons flying. He flung it into the bathtub, the pants, boxers, and socks all following.

He dug through one of his unpacked boxes and found a faded pair of sweatpants. Raking his wet hair out of his face, he yanked them on without boxers. He didn't bother with a shirt, settling for the towel he had draped around his neck. Barefoot, he went into his kitchen, ignoring the mess and grabbed a couple of beers before sitting on the edge of his bed. 

He turned on the TV only to be greeted with news footage of the latest pileup. He drank his beer as he watched, the pretty on the scene news reporter stating that no one seemed to have any leads on who the Honolulu Sniper was. Not even Five-0. 

"Not exactly true, babe, but what else is there to say, right?" he muttered, setting aside the first bottle, already empty, and opened the second. 

He should get something to eat but he had no appetite. There was a deli around the corner— Danny knew the owners who liked him a lot. Maybe it was because he broke up a robbery one evening when he stopped in for milk and bread and found the eldest son, emptying the register into a plastic bag while another kid with tatts, piercings and spiky blond hair held a shotgun on him. The kid was so wired up on drugs he didn't see Danny come up behind him. It had been easy to cold cock the asshole. 

Anyway, the owners, natives to the island, were grateful beyond words to Danny. Loved seeing him come into their little store. In a perverse way, it gave Danny a small sense of home— back in New Jersey. Where robbing little mom and pop places were nothing if not familiar and commonplace. How sad was it that he thought of it with longing and a sense of loss?

He wasn't exactly dressed to go over there. Sure, it was Hawaii, "no shirt, no shoes" was no problem to the island way of doing things. It just wasn't Danny's way. And he was too tired to drag on even jeans and a T-shirt. 

The news cycled to the weather, claiming the rain would be around for a few more hours before the storm blew back out to sea. "A fat lot of good you were." Danny grumbled at the weathergirl. "Fucking bastard still shot up the damned highway." He swallowed against the bout of rage that came when he remembered Grace and Rachel the night before. The young mother tonight who hadn't been as lucky. And the others killed. 

All because they couldn't pin this damned maniac down. He finished the second beer. He only had a couple left in the fridge. Maybe he was going to have to go over to N'hala's after all. 

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts of whether he should pull on jeans or slacks. Guessing it might be one of the neighbors with a problem, because they all came to him— being a cop and all— Danny dragged himself to his feet. But there was that sense again that made him pause and he knew without a doubt that it was Steve. He went to the door, pulling it open. 

Steve stood staring at him with those amazing slate blue eyes. Rain beaded on his hair, shown in spots on his shirt but he wasn't soaked through. Not like at the scene, where his shirt clung to him like a second skin. He must have gone home, cleaned up and changed. 

"You were going to come over tonight." 

Danny stared at him for a long moment. 

"You agreed we'd talk."

"Steve—"

"You agreed that I would talk and you would listen to what I have to say." 

Yeah. But that had been before they spent the last several hours in the middle of yet another freeway shooting. There was something in Steve's eyes that made Danny let him in.


	10. Chapter 10

Steve sat in his truck, watching the rain stream down his windshield as it drummed on the roof. Danny's car was parked out front and he could see the lights on in the small apartment. He leaned forward and glanced out the passenger window, spotting the surveillance van parked at the back of the parking lot. 

Steve knew of the dust-up, of course. The protective side of him was angry that the FBI would be watching Danny's place. He was half tempted to go over and pound on the damn door. Let them get a good look at a pissed off Navy SEAL watching out for his own and letting them know it. 

But it wouldn't help matters. 

And it wouldn't change how much Danny hurt over the entire situation. 

Steve swallowed, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He was certainly feeling reckless now, and so out of his depth. He'd done a good job of bluffing his way into getting Danny into his bed last night. But when it came down to it, thank god it had been Danny who took over because for once in his life, Steve didn't have a clue what the hell he was doing. 

Danny did, though, and Steve couldn't stop thinking about what happened. How he felt, what he saw in Danny's eyes as he pushed them over the edge, demanding Steve look at him. There was sex, Steve knew all about sex— and then there was what happened last night. 

And that was something altogether different, something Steve never experienced before. 

This was what happened when the rules were different, when this wasn't a casual hook up or way to relieve stress or tension. 

This was about understandings, commitments… this was about being in love. It frightened Steve to know that someone could hold this much power over him. The thing was, Steve was sure Danny didn't realize it. He'd blindsided Steve within hours of their first meeting that nearly brought Steve to his knees. Then he clocked Steve with an impressive right hook. 

Danny didn't think he could understand the fears that came with that. He'd been so torn up over his divorce from Rachel, doing his best to hide the wounds from all of them. He had no idea that they all knew. Steve did understand the fears, though, because he didn't think he could stand it if he were to lose Danny. 

It was time to lay the cards on the table. All of them. 

He didn't remember getting out of his truck or even knocking on the door. But then there was Danny wearing nothing but a pair of ratty sweatpants, looking at him with confusion and exhaustion in his eyes. 

"You were going to come over tonight." Steve didn't know what else to say. Danny just blinked. "You agreed we'd talk." Christ, he was close to babbling. What the hell was wrong with him? He'd been the leader of a SEAL team for the love of god. 

"Steve—" 

_Cards on the table, McGarrett. All of them._

"You agreed that I would talk and you would listen to what I have to say." 

Danny had clear blue eyes, eyes that hid none of his emotions. They darkened a shade now in the shadows of his apartment before he nodded and stepped aside to let Steve in. 

"You realize the FBI probably has pictures of you on my doorstep." Danny, barefoot, went into his kitchen, pulling open the fridge. 

Steve took in the state of the apartment. He knew Danny wasn't a clean freak by anyone's standards yet this? 

Danny handed him a beer before emptying a pile of laundry and mail off one chair, dumping it on the bed. He then sat on the rucked up blankets, one leg tucked under him, his hair still damp and no shirt. Steve could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen Danny with this much bare skin, and it would include last night. 

Sweet Christ but the guy was stacked. Back at the accident scene, in the pouring rain, his dress shirt clung to him, hiding absolutely nothing, reminding Steve just how magnificent Danny looked naked. 

"Yeah, I know the place is a mess." 

"I know you're tired. It was a long day," Steve sat, not sure what else to do. "But after what happened last night, about what we did— I can't just let it lie, Danny. Not even with all this going on with the damned sniper." Steve waved one hand at Danny. "But there never is going to be a good time to talk about this." 

"I suppose not." Danny looked down at the bottle he held, sighing and shaking his head. "Steve—" 

"Please, just let me talk, okay?" Steve shoved to his feet, Danny glancing up at him as he pushed his hands through his hair. "I need to say a few things. I need you to hear me out."

"I've always heard what you're saying, Steve, even when you weren't talking." Danny leaned back, resting his weight on one hand, holding his beer on his knee with the other. "And believe me, you've been saying a lot."

"Meaning?"

"That now that you got what you think you wanted, you're not so sure." Danny sat up, fixing Steve with such intensity that he felt his mouth go dry. 

And there it was, that odd moment of clarity that Steve found himself caught up in when Danny looked at him like this. When Steve felt stripped to his soul with nowhere to hide. 

No one else did this to him. No one. 

He swallowed and looked away. He'd had this conversation a million times in his head— that he never felt this way about anyone before, not even close. That he was terrified what that meant. Terrified he could hurt Danny. Terrified that he could get hurt, too. But now the words tangled in his throat and failed him. 

Fuck, he hated this, this wasn't who he was! He realized he wasn't sure he ever really knew who he was _before_ Danny crashed into his life. 

And stripped those walls down with a look. 

But he wanted to, God he wanted to with this man. 

"This isn't about my being in the closet or not, Danny. It just wasn't a good idea in the military. Don't get me wrong, I saw guys make it work. They were careful. I just never felt strongly enough about anyone to want to risk it." 

He sucked in a deep breath, waiting for Danny to say something but the other man remained silent. When Steve looked up, Danny still watched him, his head up, arms crossed, beer still in one hand. 

It was clear he would not interrupt. That he would let Steve say what he had to say. 

_Put your cards on the table, McGarrett._

"I've never been afraid of who or what I am. I just buried it because of the Navy. I had to. And yeah, that means up until last night, I haven't slept with a guy. That's not what this is about." Steve pushed a hand through his hair before swiping it down his face. "I don't want to hurt you. You've been hurt too much already and I get that."

"Do you?" Danny set his beer aside. "I know you honestly think that, Steven. You wouldn’t deliberately, I know that. Rachel and I didn't intend for what happened to happen either, but it did." 

"You won't let it go, Danny."

"It's not that easy, Steve!" Danny got up now, hands moving, one pushing through his hair. "She was my wife, for several years. She gave me Grace, who is the most important thing in my life and will stay that way, no matter how we sort this out."

"I don't know what happened between you and Rachel— you don’t want to tell me and I respect that. But I know you blame yourself for all of it."

"So what if I do?" Danny snapped, hands going wide. "What of it, Steve? What does it matter?"

"Because you aren't the only one afraid, okay! My being your boss, that can be worked around! And I knew from day one that Grace is your universe and it should be that way!" Steve turned away, sucking in a deep breath before turning back and meeting Danny's gaze. "The sex doesn't bother me, that's logistics! It's the commitment because I've never been able to do that, never _wanted_ that with anyone until I met you. Damn it, Danny, I'm not just afraid of hurting you. I'm afraid of getting hurt too! The truth is I'm terrified you're going to walk away because you can't handle that this isn't about sex. That it's a helluva lot more."

Danny stared at him and yeah, Steve saw it there in his eyes. "Sometimes it's not enough, Steve."

"And sometimes it's all we got." Steve stepped closer, wanting more than anything to touch Danny. "Not everything has to go down in flames." Steve stood in front of him now and carefully slid his fingers down one arm. "It's a gamble, I know, but I'm willing to risk it for you." Danny looked up, meeting his gaze. "Risk it with me, Danny." 

***

Sweet Christ, how was he supposed to say no to that? Say no to what he'd wanted, ached for over the last few months but told himself he wouldn't have? Here was Steve, practically opening a vein because he didn't know what else to do. 

Steve wanted this, whatever this was that sparked and jumped between them. It wasn't about a friendship; they'd gone past that a long time ago. 

This wasn't charm or charisma, both of which Steve had in spades. This wasn't maneuvering for a quick roll and fuck. This was Steve with his walls down, meeting Danny on Danny's level. It was raw and open and vulnerable, all those things Danny had been since Rachel asked him to leave the night they ended their marriage. For all the emotional risk Danny felt he'd be taking, it was clear now to him that Steve was in the same boat, bailing just as fast. 

He met Steve's gaze, saw the unmasked fear now that he'd put it all out there in front of Danny. Everyone saw this man, a leader, always in control but Danny knew differently. He had for some time now. 

He reached up, one hand sliding on Steve's chest, the other wrapping around his neck, pulling Steve into a kiss. Not just any kiss, but something hot and hungry and urgent. Steve opened his mouth under Danny's, groaning, pressing closer, pulling Danny against him. Danny nudged one leg between Steve's, desperate for more contact. 

They broke the kiss, Danny nipping and nuzzling. This is what he needed, what he loved as much as the sex— the touching and closeness, feel of warm skin under his hands, the taste and smell of a lover. This was what he was about as he nipped at the base of Steve's throat, then pressed a kiss there. He pushed his hands under the other man's shirt, sliding fingers over skin, hearing Steve's sharp intake of breath when he found and started to tease one nipple. 

Steve jerked and groaned, muttering Danny's name. He ground against Danny's hip, hard through the fabric of his jeans. Danny had only the thin material of the worn sweat pants and nothing else. Steve nudged him under the chin to look up, seeking his mouth and Danny met him with a heat and hunger like nothing he experienced before. There was no finesse here, nothing measured or careful. 

Steve licked his way into Danny's mouth, snatching Danny's breath as he worked his hand between them, cupping Danny's erection. Danny broke from the kiss, tossing his head back as he bucked into Steve's hand, swearing under his breath. Steve licked and kissed down Danny's neck, nipping him in one of his more sensitive spots— the crease where neck met shoulder. Danny practically jumped out of his skin when Steve nipped him there again. 

"Sweet Christ!" Danny hissed, fisting his hands in Steve's shirt. 

"Found something, did I?" Steve whispered against his skin. "I'm betting there's more." He rubbed the palm of his hand over Danny's aching cock, Danny groaning in response. He was leaking, the material getting soaked with pre-come. He put his hand over Steve's, desperate for more friction. He realized he could come apart right now he was so wired and that wasn't what he wanted, not yet. 

"Too many clothes on you," he muttered, tugging at Steve's shirt. He moved back a step, pulling at the hem. Steve, who seemed to have made an art of stripping his shirt off any time, any place, pulled it off now in a fluid move. "Damn, I can't get enough of you without the shirt, I swear." Danny slid his hand over the warm skin, running the tips of his fingers over one nipple. He stepped back into Steve, seeking another kiss but he kept it short and hot before licking his way down the center of Steve's chest. 

Palming and pinching one nipple. Danny drew the other into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue. He smiled when Steve sucked in a sharp breath and hissed his name. Reaching between them, he undid Steve's pants, easing them and the boxers low on his hips. "Come here," Danny whispered, pulling Steve into a kiss. It wasn't so hungry and desperate this time, but rather something deeper and more measured. And Steve was right there with him, framing Danny's face with his hands, sliding his tongue along Danny's. 

Unlike last night, there was no hesitation. And he had no problem with Danny taking the lead as he let Danny maneuver him around until the edge of the sofa bed pressed against his legs. Danny ended their kiss with a nip to Steve's bottom lip before nudging him back, Steve sitting on the messed up blanket and thin mattress. He held Steve's gaze as he considered for a minute what was next.

Knowing his knee would probably remind him in the morning he wasn't a kid anymore, Danny knelt down between Steve's legs. Confusion darkened the slate blue eyes as Danny ran his hands up the strong thighs. He pressed one hand against Steve's erection, still watching him. He saw the confusion change to realization when Danny worked his hand inside Steve's pants and freed his cock. 

"Danny, your knee—"

"Is fine." Danny rubbed the pad of his thumb over the tip, smearing pre-come. Steve's breath hitched, his eyes wide as he fisted his hands in the blanket. 

This should be interesting, Danny thought, considering he barely touched Steve. Danny fisted him, stroking him to the base of his thick cock. It'd been years since he'd done this, a lot of years but he knew what he liked, what turned him on and he had a pretty good idea it wouldn't be much different for Steve. 

He couldn't believe that Steve hadn't been blown by at least a few lovers but this would be a lot different having a man's mouth on him. Steve was hung and Danny sincerely doubted he'd ever really let loose with any of his female partners. But he could do that with Danny, he wouldn't have to be careful and Danny didn't want him to be. 

Danny ran his tongue around the head before taking it into his mouth, getting his first taste of Steve. Steve's hips jerked as he rolled his head back on his shoulders with a soft groan. With his hand still wrapped around the base, Danny took more of him in. He remembered and relaxed, finding a careful rhythm of taking a little more of Steve's length with each swallow, following with a slow sucking glide to the head before swallowing him down again. 

At some point, Steve had switched from fisting his hands in the blanket to gripping Danny's shoulders, fingers digging in. They were both covered in a light sheen of sweat, Steve practically chanting Danny's name. 

Danny had no intention of rushing this and he wanted to make sure Steve got so caught up in it that he'd forget and let go and fuck himself down Danny's throat. He was close to that now, hips jerking, pushing himself deeper into Danny's mouth and Danny letting him, silently encouraging him with one hand on Steve's thigh. He jerked himself roughly, in time to Steve's thrusts. 

Steve was taking over, Danny letting him as he opened up and relaxed and let Steve go. Steve had one hand tangled in Danny's hair now, the other still digging into Danny's shoulder. Danny closed his eyes, letting himself feel it all— the hard thickness pounding into his mouth, down his throat, his own climax building in the pit of his stomach, burning at the base of his spine. He wasn't there yet, but Steve was balancing right on that edge, his thrusts becoming more erratic. 

_Let go, Steve, let go… trust me enough to just let go…_

Steve shouted Danny's name and came with a rush, Danny ready for it. 

Spent, shaking with the aftermath, Steve collapsed back on the bed, chest heaving as Danny let him slip from his mouth. Still fisting himself, Danny let himself go, coming over his hand as he still knelt between Steve's legs. 

When he caught his breath, he sat back on his heels, head bowed, hands on his thighs, breathing noisily through his mouth. He looked around but finally settled for the edge of his sheet and wiped his hands on that. It took him a moment before he found his balance and got to his feet. 

Steve pushed himself up on his elbows, looking at Danny who went to the door and made sure it was locked. 

"Danny—"

"I'm right here. I just wanted to make sure the FBI doesn't barge in." He came back to the bed and sat down on it, rubbing one shoulder. He'd have marks there tomorrow to match Steve's fingers. And he didn't care. He turned and looked at Steve who watched him with wide eyes. "You okay?"

"You're seriously asking me this? I wasn't the one on my knees." 

"And I'm sure my bad knee will let me know all about it in vivid detail tomorrow. But right now I just care about you." Danny reached over, touched Steve's shoulder. "So I'll ask again— are you okay?" 

Steve gave him one of those loopy lopsided grins, tugging Danny down beside him. "Hell yes, Danny, I'm more than okay." 

***

Danny woke with the unfamiliar feel of someone in bed with him. Someone a lot bigger than Grace. He pushed himself up on one elbow and found himself next to Steve. Steve who was sprawled face down and still passed out. Danny sat up, glancing at the time and breathed a sigh of relief. It was still early enough that they wouldn't be late into work and face the curious and knowing glances of Chin and Kono.

He watched Steve for several long moments. The sheet barely covered what Danny knew was an exceptional ass, leaving a lot of delicious tanned skin on display. And the intricate shoulder tatts that still baffled Danny. Body art down here in the Islands meant something completely different than in Newark. 

It was part of the puzzle that was McGarrett. Danny knew that despite the friendship and partnership they shared, there was a great deal more he didn't know. It would be interesting to see if this turn in their relationship would cause Steve to open up more. 

"I can hear you thinking," Steve muttered. He rolled over onto his back, all long limbs and carved muscle, hair mussed. He gave Danny a lazy smile as he stretched and Danny held his breath at the sight. 

"Christ, you look like a porn star, you know that? A debauched one at that." 

"I've been called a lot of things the morning after, but debauched porn star? That's a new one." Steve shifted up on one elbow, the sheet slipping low on his hips, giving Danny an eyeful. 

"Don't get ideas. I am not showing up late so Kono and Chin can smirk." 

"Smirk? Did you just say smirk?" 

"Are you always this playful in the morning? Or just after sex?" Danny slid to the edge of the thin mattress and stood up, instantly regretting it. He hissed sharply in annoyance as his knee reminded him what an idiot he'd been last night. 

"Danny, damn it!" Steve was across the bed and reaching for him but Danny held up one hand in warning as he gripped the back of a chair with the other to keep his balance. 

"Just chill, McGarrett, okay? I wake up stiff a lot of mornings. Some ibuprofen and a shower usually lets me work the kinks out." Danny limped into the sorry excuse of a kitchen, leaning on the counter as he found the bottle of pain killers. 

"For God sakes, Danny, you were on your knees last night." Steve found his boxers and pulled them on. 

"I was also on my knees on asphalt in the pouring rain last night, talking to a victim who was in shock." Danny waved a hand. "It's fine. Now, I'd be glad to toss you a pair of my boxers but I doubt anything else I got is gonna fit you. So unless you want to show up to work in yesterday's clothes…"

"I keep a change in the truck." 

"Ooookay then. How convenient." Danny measured out coffee grounds in the filter. "You do realize that the feds are watching this apartment? And although I personally have a very low opinion of them right now, they aren't a complete pack of idiots." Danny finished pouring the water into the coffee maker and looked at Steve who had pulled his jeans on. "They're gonna put two and two together, Steve." Danny shook his head. "I should have thought about this last night."

"Let them." 

"You still have a Navy career. And let's not forget you're my boss. And that's just for starters, Steve." 

"And they have nothing more than the fact that I came by last night. I think we have enough going on between us without dragging the feds into this. If they want to make something of it, we'll deal with it then." 

"We are going to deal with this." Danny shoved his hands through his hair. "After we catch this bastard and end this nightmare." He looked up at Steve, catching and holding the other man's gaze. "We're in this now and I'm fine with that. But, you and I are going to sit down and there are going to be ground rules, Steven." 

"If that's what you want—"

"It's not what I want, it's what I need!" Danny snapped, then shook his head. "Christ, I'm sorry, okay? It's just lousy timing, I guess. The sniper, Matty, the feds… I'm trying here, Steven." 

"I know you are." Steve came into the tiny kitchen, barefoot and wearing only his jeans. "We can make this work, Danny, I promise."


	11. Chapter 11

Danny wanted to dig into whatever information they had from yesterday's shooting. They didn't have a lot yet but he didn't care. When the rest of the details came in, he'd have a head start. Setting up the surface table, he sifted and moved things, losing himself in the details, trying to nail the bastard down. 

He looked up when Chin and Kono came in together, each carrying an extra cup of coffee. Chin went into Steve's office as Kono came over to Danny, offering the extra cup with a smile. 

"You are a goddess, you realize that?" Danny spread his hands wide with a smile before accepting the cup. 

"You're such a flirt, you know that?" Kono gave him a wink. She'd dressed in jeans that hugged every inch of her slender frame with a loose pale blue tank over what looked like an eye searing pink bikini top. 

"Gotta work with what I got, babe," Danny laughed. She could always do that, lighten up a situation and smooth his rough edges. He doubted she knew she did that for him, but it didn't make it any less appreciated. 

"Oh speaking of which…" She set her cup aside so she could pat down her pants. She found what she was looking for, fishing it out of her right hip pocket. "You're in Hawai'i now, brah, and you should never be without one." 

Steve and Chin Ho came out of Steve's office in time to see Kono hand Danny, of all things, a pocket knife. 

"Seriously?" Danny weighed it in his hand as Steve and Chin joined them. Steve leaned against the computer table, arms crossed with a smile that reached his eyes. 

"I hope this isn't some Hawaiian custom I'm not aware of that says we're dating now!"

Kono tossed her hair back as she grinned, both Chin and Steve laughing. 

"No worries there." But she leaned in and brushed a quick kiss against his cheek. "Besides, I know you're already spoken for," she whispered before pulling back. 

Danny stared at her, stunned. 

"It is, however, customary to say thank you," Steve nudged. 

"Um, yes, I, uh—" Danny floundered. He sucked in a deep breath to get his bearings back. "Yes, thank you, Kono. I promise to always have it with me." 

"And that concludes today's floor show." Steve nodded to what was on the screens. "We got some new information to add. We know the building our shooter used." 

"And it's not a hotel." Chin Ho slid his hands over the glossy surface, then tapped in a command on the digital keypad. "This time he used a parking garage." A section of the city filled the table. Chin traced in the area where yesterday's shooting occurred and expanded that out. "Shots were fired from the west and CSI was able to determine he was here." He taped the screen, highlighting a building before sweeping it up onto the central monitor. 

"That's a damn big parking garage." Danny moved closer to the monitor. 

"It's public parking for the shopping mall and four office buildings. He was on the tenth level." Chin noted. "They swept it, but nothing."

"He's changing it up, making it impossible for us to pin him down. How are we supposed to get ahead of him?" Kono shook her head. 

"It's because he's changed his routine we'll get him. He doesn't have these as well planned or staged. He's showing off too, which makes him cocky." Steve pointed at the prior shooting, the one that involved Rachel and Grace. "This one at dusk, where the angle of the sun would make it a challenge. Yesterday's in the pouring rain. Again, a challenge. He's thumbing his nose at us. It's his way of saying he's smarter and quicker than us and we won't be able to figure him out."

"He'll make mistakes." Danny turned to look at them. 

"That much arrogance? You can bet on it. Someone is going to see something because he hasn't planned and reconned these new perches." Steve spoke. "He doesn't think so, but he's now playing to our advantage."

***

Steve came into Danny's office, setting a sandwich and soda on the desk in front of his partner. Danny didn't even look up from his computer screen. Steve sat on the couch, stretching his legs out. "Hey, lunch. Take a break here, Danno, join us out at the conference table."

Danny grumbled something under his breath Steve didn't catch. 

"Danny!" Steve raised his voice just enough to make the other man finally pause and look up at him in surprise. 

"What are you yelling at me for?" He pushed his hands through his hair in clear annoyance, rolling his shoulders as he sat back in his chair. 

Steve leaned forward and tapped the corner of Danny's desk. "Food? Lunch? Come on, you need a break." Steve got up, waving at Danny to come with him. 

"We need to catch this maniac." Danny didn't get up, just pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. "Have you heard from those gun manufacturers? They give up their client lists yet?" 

"No. I'm gonna goose them in a couple hours, remind them that lives are at stake here." Steve sat on the edge of Danny's desk. 

"Can't we have the Governor lean on them some? I'm betting she'd have no problem with getting the point across." Danny looked at his screen again, scowling. 

"What is it?" 

"I don't know! I feel like we're missing something here, something obvious but I can't figure out what!" Danny shoved to his feet, all restless agitation as Steve tracked him. His friend and now lover looked like he wanted to hit something. He was definitely wound tight. 

"Chin and Kono are going through the security footage of the parking garage, running the plates on all the vehicles, but so far nothing's popped." Steve kept his voice even as Danny paced to the far side of his office. 

"He's not that stupid. I'll bet he came in on foot." Danny fisted one hand, the other he waved between them. "I can't see him serving himself up that easy with a license plate." 

"You're probably right, but we'll run the plates against what we have at the hotels on the off chance we get a match. Danny, we'll get this bastard. But it won't do us any good if you run yourself into the ground in the effort." Steve got up but didn't make the mistake of trying to box Danny in. "Come on. Take a few minutes, bring your sandwich and relax with us." 

He could see the stubbornness, the rebellion in the set of the other man's jaw and the way he ground his fist into the palm of his hand. But Danny finally gave a sharp nod.

"You'll talk to the Governor?" 

"You'll sit your ass down with us and eat?"

"Fine, whatever, McGarrett. Deal." 

Steve smiled with the small victory. When it came to Danny, he'd take them where he could get them. "Deal."

Unfortunately, Steve wasn't able to keep his end of the bargain, at least not right away. They'd barely sat down with Chin and Kono when all their cell phones started ringing. 

***

Danny stood in the middle of the destruction in the blazing heat of the midday sunshine, hand shielding his eyes as he glanced around at the various buildings. It could have been any of a likely six, maybe more. 

Smoke washed over him, causing his eyes to tear. A truck and small car had collided, the truck's gas tank rupturing. Witnesses said it happened so fast, the next thing anyone knew both vehicles were engulfed. The fire department continued to hose down the burned out wrecks as Danny shook his head. 

There were at least forty other vehicles involved, including a delivery truck that lay on its side, the back wide open and the contents spilled across the highway. The driver was one of the casualties, his partner just air lifted out, critical. 

A minivan rested on its roof, bringing images to Danny's exhausted mind of a dead roach. There'd been six young college students in there, four girls and two guys. Two were dead, three others serious or critical. That left one girl sitting on the ground, rocking and sobbing, Kono trying to talk to her. She was covered in blood, Danny unsure if it was hers or her friends'. 

He joined Kono, kneeling beside her. The young girl, dressed for the beach, kept looking at her hands. She shook like a leaf, tears sliding down her cheeks. She was shutting down, slipping into shock. She flicked her gaze to Danny, eyes wide and glazed. 

"Hey," Danny murmured, touching Kono who glanced at him with sorrow bright in her eyes. "How we doing here?" 

Kono had a tablet and she tilted it toward Danny. He saw a Vermont driver's license with the name Emily Dodson. Danny looked away for a long moment, angry and horrified. The poor thing was barely eighteen, definitely a freshman here at college. Young kids on a day off, going to the beach. Now two of them were dead and three others were fighting for their lives. 

And this little one with long dark hair and gray eyes would never be the same again. 

"Emily? It's Emily, right?" Danny reached out carefully, touching her shoulder, fingers light against bare skin. She had on shorts and a bright yellow and orange bikini top, something Danny could see Kono wearing. "Emily, can you look at me?" Danny kept his voice soft. 

She flicked her gaze up to his and he caught it, held it as he took one of her trembling hands. "That's it, stay here with me, okay?" 

She stared at him, confusion in her eyes. 

"That's it, stay with me, Emily." He felt Steve come up behind him but didn't look away from the young girl. 

"Wh-wh-where are my friends?" 

"They're at the hospital. You're going to go, too." Danny swallowed, hoping she wouldn't ask beyond that because there was no way she'd be able to handle the truth about two of them being dead. "Emily, hey, look at me, Emily." He squeezed her hand when she started to look away. 

"I don't know you," she whispered. She looked down at their hands, Danny still holding one. "Why am I here?"

"I'm Danny— Detective Danny Williams." He squeezed her hand again, trying to keep her from slipping further into shock. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Happened?"

Danny switched directions, hoping to walk her back to the accident. "You were going to the beach? Pretty day for it. I bet you ditched classes, you and your buddies."

"No," she swayed more than shook her head. "No classes today. Going surfing. I'm still learning…" her voice trailed off. 

"Surfing huh? My partner here, she's pretty spectacular on a board. Going up to the North Shore, I'll bet." The heat from the late afternoon sun beat down on them and Danny felt the sweat crawl down his back. It radiated up from the asphalt, making everything shimmer and haze. 

"No. Waikiki. I wanted to go to Waikiki. Donna and Greg said they wanted to go to the North Shore but I said no." She shrugged her shoulders. "Waikiki's closer. It was fun. Donna had a new video camera, she was hanging out the window…" She looked at Danny. "Where are my friends?" 

This was as far as he was going to get her, he realized. "You're going to go see them now, okay?" Danny waved the EMTs who'd been waiting to come over. He helped them get her on her feet, then watched as they led her away. 

Kono shook her head. "Donna's one of the victims."

"Aw, damn." Danny pushed his hands through his hair. "I couldn't get her to the accident, she's blocked it out. I was hoping maybe. Was she the driver?" 

"No, it was one of the boys, a local going to school here." Kono glanced at Steve as Chin walked up. 

"We know the first vehicle shot at— a pickup with a couple guys. We've got eight casualties, four of them due to the traffic pileup." Chin shook his head. 

Danny looked at the minivan, still upside down. Everything inside was scattered around, towels, baskets, water bottles, a cell phone and a couple of cameras. He could see at least three surf boards where crushed under the roof, another was several feet away on the pavement, cracked and ruined. 

Something Emily said came back to him as he started to walk around the vehicle. Steve came up next to him.

"You onto something?" Steve asked as Danny got down on his knees and peered into the wrecked car. 

"She said one of them had a new video camera." Danny grabbed one of the towels and used it to brush broken glass out of his way. "She said her friend was hanging out the window." Danny wedged as far as he could into the car. "So where is it?"

"Chin, Kono, check that side!" Steve ordered before getting down on his knees to look into what was left of the front seat. 

Danny pushed some debris aside, biting back a curse when he cut his hand on something sharp. A cooler with beer was smashed open, most of the bottles broken. He saw a purse and a beach tote half buried under a blanket. He caught the edge of the blanket and pulled it free, and saw it. But it was out of his reach.

"Damn it! I found it! I can't reach it from here!"

Kono's face appeared on the other side as she peered in. "I see it! I can get it!" She leaned in and reached for the camera, hooking the strap and pulling it toward her as Danny pushed back out. Steve helped him to his feet before they came around to see Kono holding the prize with a thin smile. 

"Looks like a brand new high end video camera." She handed it to Steve as Danny looked at the cut on his hand. 

"It's in pretty rough shape which is not a surprise." Steve put it in an evidence bag, handing it back to Kono. You get that to Fong. Maybe, just maybe, we can catch a break and she happened to catch our sniper." 

***

The fatality count went up by the time they'd gotten back to headquarters. One more of the girls from Emily's party died at the hospital. Steve watched as Danny slammed a file on the table before shoving it off, the contents scattering. He stormed off, practically taking the door off its hinges as he left their offices. 

"Boss?" Kono looked miserable. 

"Let him go, he needs to yell and pound on something. He'll be back when he's ready." Steve sighed before he started to collect the papers, Kono helping him. He was just as angry and frustrated as Danny was, and feeling like they were getting nowhere. He just internalized it. Danny, well, Danny wasn't as good at that. 

Chin came in with a glance over his shoulder. "Danny just tore out of the parking lot like he stole that car." 

"Another one of the coeds didn't make it." Kono put the papers and photos on the table. 

"Damn." 

Steve added his to Kono's, who took the entire file. "He's got a lot of anger and frustration right now. He's gotta deal with it his way." Steve shook his head. "Let's look at what we got right now and hope like hell Fong can recover something off that video camera that will help us." 

***

Danny got on the Pali highway and once free of the city traffic, put his foot on the gas and let the car go. It was built for this but Danny rarely pushed the limits, the responsibility of a daughter always there at the back of his mind. But right now, with the sun setting and the air whipping past him, he didn't want to think about anything but the road ahead of him. 

And if it felt like he was running away from a mountain of issues and problems, well, he knew it would only be temporary at best. 

Everything flashed by in a blur, Danny forced to clear his head so all that mattered was what was going on in front of him. He didn't hear anything but the big engine, didn't feel anything but the tearing wind from the open windows as it ripped around him. 

There wasn't anything else, not the sniper or another dead kid, not the joke his life had become, not Steve and the problems that came with him. Right now Danny didn't want to care, didn't want to feel. He only wanted to escape, even if for ten or fifteen minutes behind the wheel of a car that when let loose, could set your hair on fire. 

Dusk settled in, the road becoming shadowy and the fury and anguish that fueled this mad dash slipped away, leaving in its wake an all too familiar emptiness. He let up on the gas, listening to the engine change as he slowed up, then pulled over when he spotted one of the scenic overlooks. It was all but night now and the parking area empty. 

Danny pulled into a slot and cut the engine, pulling the keys out of the ignition. Honolulu glittered below him and he could catch the running lights on a few ships out in the harbor. The stars weren't out yet but they wouldn't be far behind as night settled over the island, promising a peace that Danny knew didn't exist. 

He got out and walked around the front of the car and rested back against the hood and bumper, crossing his arms. The breeze played around him with the scent of citrus and flowers, teasing at his hair and tie. Behind him he could hear the ticking sounds of the engine as it cooled down. 

What was he doing here? Following Grace was what got him to Hawaii but everything had been so upside down since he landed here. It wasn't enough that the place was like the equivalent of Mars in his mind— as far from what he knew and understood back in Newark. He thought time would wear down some of glaring differences, but instead Danny felt more and more alienated. And lost. 

Matty screwed up so much and whatever footing Danny thought he had, it went when Matty looked back at him with eyes Danny didn't recognize that night. 

Rachel looked at him now with something akin to regret. He didn’t know what to do about that. They'd both made their decisions, they both had to live with the consequences and Danny prayed Grace didn't become a casualty of them. And as tantalizing as the idea sometimes seemed, there was no going back for either of them. It wouldn't fix what had been wrong in the first place. 

HPD didn't think much of him to begin with. Then his managing to land what was considered an elite position on a special taskforce sanctioned by the governor herself didn't exactly win him style points either. But Five-0 and McGarrett gave him the opportunity to be what he always wanted, to be a good cop. He couldn’t care less about the rest of the politics but they never seemed to be far away. 

And now McGarrett. Christ, what had he gotten himself into there? Logic kept telling him this was a colossal mistake and not just because Steve was his boss. The man had some serious issues that drove him to take uncalled for risks. Yet Danny kept finding himself circling around him. Too hot to touch but he did anyway, knowing that at some point, he was bound to be burned. 

***

"Hey," Steve glanced up from the sink in his kitchen, shutting the water off without looking. Danny stood in the doorway, having let himself in. He looked miserable, hands shoved in his pockets, eyes shadowed. There was something just under the surface that Steve thought could be fury, but if it was, Danny had it on a tight leash for the moment. 

He didn't say anything, just looked at Steve as if lost and not knowing what the next move was. 

"I got a couple reports that you were going like a bat out of hell on the Pali." Steve gave him a quick smile as he dried his hands on a dishtowel. He didn't want it to look like he was accusing or reprimanding him. A silence hung between them for way too long, Steve wondering if Danny would say anything. 

His friend finally looked away. "Yeah, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time." 

"Danny—" 

"I just wanted to forget for a few minutes, that's all." Danny took his hands out of his pockets, spreading them wide before running them over his hair. 

"We're not talking about the case, are we?" 

"No— yes— damn, I don’t know any more!" He twisted away, hands fisted, shoulders tight. "What am I doing here? Honestly, Steven, why am I here?" 

Steve couldn't help but be hurt. He reasoned that Danny was upset and that maybe jumping into a relationship during this crisis wasn't the best idea… but it still hurt like hell. "If you don't want to be here, Danny, I'm not making you stay." 

"You think it's that simple, don't you? Is that how you handle your relationships? Pretend you don't have a real involvement so place the responsibility on me, is that it?" Danny snapped, an edge to his voice that cut Steve deep. 

A voice in the back of his head said that Danny was just spoiling for a fight, that he was hurt and angry and striking out because Steve was there and handy. But it was more than that and Steve understood right there that nothing he could do would get Danny past the wreckage of his first marriage. 

Danny had to do that for himself and Steve wanted to believe he could be there waiting on the other side when Danny finally came to terms with it. 

"Why not, Danny, you're already primed for it! You got good and burned once so that's how it's going to be with us too, right? You've already set yourself up for the fall, convinced I'm going to hurt you before we barely even started!" 

"You will, McGarrett. You burn so damn bright and there is no way I'll be able to keep up with you!" 

"You think that little of yourself? You didn't think yourself good enough for Rachel either, was that it? Then maybe this was a mistake! So you go ahead and run but don't blame me because you're still too damned afraid to trust that someone besides your daughter could actually want to love you!" Steve flung the dishtowel in the sink before stomping out of the kitchen through his father's den and on out to the lanai before heading down to the beach.


	12. Chapter 12

Danny thought about leaving, after all he got what he came here for, didn't he? Hurt Steve before Steve could hurt him, right? Sabotage the relationship before it got too serious? 

Sweet Christ, when had he become this person? When had he become so afraid that he pushed everyone away and barricaded himself emotionally? When had he become such a coward?

Danny sagged against the door frame, head hanging. 

Maybe Steve would burn him. Maybe not. Danny would never know, would he? 

Everything came with a risk, he knew that. He could hide from all of it and accept the emptiness that came with it. Or he could at least accept it on his terms. He didn't have to go it alone, did he? 

Was it so hard to accept what Steve offered him, understanding that Steve risked as much as he did emotionally? Was it so hard to believe that he found in Danny what he hadn't been able to with any one else?

Fuck, he was so tied up in knots over the case and Matty's selfish stupidity that Steve became an easy target to be his whipping boy. It was uncalled for and mean and Danny didn't like thinking he'd become this kind of person. 

Sighing, he pushed himself back up. He doubted Steve wanted to be anywhere near him and he had a right to that, but Danny would at least be big enough to apologize before he slinked away. 

He came out onto the lanai, letting his eye adjust to the darkness. When he could make out Steve's silhouette against the back drop of the tossing ocean, he swallowed his pride and walked down. 

A light wind chased down the beach, ruffling Steve's hair, playing with the T-shirt he wore. He had his head up and hands in his pockets, looking across the inky darkness of the tossing waves. He didn't look at Danny when he came to stand beside him. 

"Listen, I'm sorry. It's been a supremely crummy day and I used that to slap at you. I should never have come over here in the first place, not in the mood I was in." Danny sucked in a deep breath. "And it's just excuses, I know, because right now I'm so damned scared I don't know what I'm doing. So I’m sorry. I didn't want to leave without apologizing." 

"You've been afraid since the day I met you, Danny." Steve didn't look at him, still staring off across the dark waters. "You do a good job of hiding it behind the anger and sarcasm, but I know it's there. I know you're afraid of not measuring up and for the life of me I can't understand why." He looked down for a moment then back out at the ocean. "You're a damn good cop, an amazing father and fierce friend and a better man than most anyone I know. But you don't see that, won't let yourself believe it."

Danny remained silent, swallowing against the tightness that threatened to choke him. He felt Steve looking at him now but couldn't make himself meet the other man's eyes. 

"Danny, I want you to come to me because you want to. Not because you think I'm tossing scraps at you and that this is as good as it gets. You aren't a diversion, you aren't an itch I decided to scratch and you were the guy I could do it with. You deserve better than that." 

Danny realized he was shaking as he drew a ragged breath. Steve looked at him with a mixture of bewilderment and longing. 

"I want you to stop being afraid, Danny and to trust me. I want to love you, I want you to teach me how to love you." Steve shifted, moving in front of Danny, resting the fingers of one hand on Danny's chest. 

Danny closed his eyes with the contact, unable to resist leaning into the touch. He reached up, wrapping his hand around Steve's arm. 

"I want to be here, Steven. Please." He looked up, finally, meeting Steve's eyes. The other man smiled and nodded. 

"Good, because I want you here, Danny." 

***

Steve watched Danny, unable to take his eyes off him. The bedroom was cast in half shadows, a breeze playing lightly through the room with the sound of the crashing surf. He was already naked, sprawled on the bed, resting on one elbow as he watched Danny come to him. The man was such an eyeful in the daylight with shirts that strained at the buttons across his chest and pants that fit like nothing Steve had seen before. 

When he first met Danny, everything hung on him a bit, looking baggy and rumpled. Now he'd filled out nicely, putting on a few pounds that Steve suspected Danny lost with the divorce and subsequent move to Hawaii. Despite all his bitching about being here, the island apparently suited him. 

As good as Danny looked in the daylight, in the shadows of the evening, stripped down to nothing but skin, he looked amazing. Steve couldn't help but watch him, savor the way the soft light played over pale skin, defining the ridges and valleys of muscle. That swagger, the way he moved with purpose and energy, although muted, wasn't lost here in the bedroom. 

Danny finished undressing, stepping out of his boxers, his eyes dark with a mix of hunger, longing and anticipation as he met Steve's gaze without hesitation. Steve sat up, extending his hand, an invitation that didn't need words. Danny climbed onto the bed, accepting Steve's hand, lacing their fingers together. On his knees, he knelt on the bedspread in front of Steve. 

God, there was nothing more he wanted than this, having Danny in his bed. The spark and intensity that grabbed Steve from the moment he'd met him, defiant and strong. 

Danny said it was Steve who burned brightly, but Steve knew differently. 

He leaned in, nuzzling, Danny responding with a deep breath as he nuzzled back. He was so tactile, so responsive to touch like no other lover before. Steve wanted to revel in it for the rest of his life. He brushed his lips over Danny's face before finally drawing him into a kiss with a soft moan. 

And sweet Christ, how he loved kissing this man! There was nothing reticent when it came to Danny. A spark became flame as Danny opened to him, wrapping his fingers around Steve's arms as he gave Steve everything and more. Hungry, lips crushed, Danny taking Steve's bottom lip between his teeth for a brief moment before plunging his tongue in Steve's mouth. Nothing Danny did was halfway, his passion spilling over into everything and Steve loved it. 

They broke the kiss, Steve nipping and licking his way down Danny's throat. Danny rolled his head back, giving Steve free rein. The past couple of times they'd come together, it had been about him, Danny taking the lead because of Steve's inexperience. But tonight Steve wanted this for Danny, wanted to show just how much he loved him. 

He slid one hand down Danny's chest, palming a nipple, felt it harden as he brushed the tips of his fingers over it. Danny sucked in a startled breath, Steve smiling at the reaction before he nipped the other one then licked over it. He blew across the wet skin, Danny's fingers digging into his arms as his breath hitched. Steve expected him to be a little more vocal. This was Danny, after all. Yet the other man was surprisingly quiet. Steve would have to work on that because he wanted to hear him, wanted to know he was taking Danny apart. Wanted him to beg for more as Steve pushed him to the edge. 

He wanted to see that vulnerability that Danny kept so buried and rarely showed to anyone. Steve wanted to hear Danny shout his name. 

Catching Danny up in another hungry kiss, Steve nudged him to lie down. He followed Danny as he laid back, still kissing him. He straddled the narrow hips, Danny's hard cock brushing his own, sending a thrill down Steve's spine that pooled deep inside him. He kept kissing him, pushing one hand through the blond hair, the other he slid down Danny's chest and belly, fingers trailing to the base of Danny's erection. Danny broke the kiss with a groan when Steve wrapped his hand around the length of him. He smiled, catching one of Danny's hands and pinned it to the bed, fingers twined. Still touching, stroking, Steve ran the pad of his thumb over the tip of Danny's cock. Danny bucked up with a moan, head back, body shifting restlessly under Steve. 

Steve circled the head with his thumb, smearing the leaking pre-come then ran his thumb down the length of Danny's erection to the base. 

"Christ, Steve—" Danny's hips jerked, when Steve wrapped his hand around his cock and stroked back up to the leaking head. He repeated what he'd done, thumb down the underside, hand stoking up. He watched Danny as he continued, taking it in. The play of muscles, the ragged breathing, the way he shifted and moved under Steve, seeking more.

"Oh God, Steve, please—" 

Steve let him go, moving up Danny's body, resettling over his hips, bringing their erections together as he caught Danny's other hand and pinned it to the bed beside his head. Danny thrust up against him with a groan that went right to Steve's cock and he ground back. With fingers laced, Steve leaned down and caught Danny in a sizzling open-mouthed kiss that snatched his breath away. 

Their bodies found a rhythm, rocking and rubbing together in a slick friction as they still kissed. There was no hurry. They ended the kiss with nuzzling and nips then found each other’s mouths again, hips still working, cocks still sliding. The sensation was beyond words, beyond anything Steve experienced, a slow rippling build that coiled in his gut, like a smoldering fire with the promise of a raging blaze. 

Danny beneath him, both of them now sticky with sweat, his hair a wild tangle, his cheeks flushed and eyes wide. It was there, the walls down and Steve saw what almost no one else did— Danny unguarded and open with a vulnerability and ache that made Steve's heart clench. 

In that moment Steve understood how much he loved this man. He had Danny, had all of him and he was Steve's to love or destroy. It was what Danny had been so afraid of but couldn't help but give to Steve now. He knew no other way. 

They came to that edge, balanced together, so close it was almost painful. He still held Danny's gaze, the clear blue eyes impossibly dark with his emotions. He was hanging on, Steve could see it, afraid to let go because it was more than an orgasm. Steve brushed a kiss against his lips, whispered he loved him and watched as Danny crashed over the edge, head back, hips jerking against Steve's. Steve stayed with him, kissed the base of his sweaty throat as Danny rode out his climax with a strangled sob. 

Steve followed, letting it roll over him like a wave, pulling him under in a wash of sensation. He surfaced, blinking and shaking his head, arms and hips trembling with his weight. 

Steve looked down at Danny. The other man shook, chest heaving, breath ragged. Steve let go of one of his hands and cupped Danny's face, stroking a thumb over his cheek. "Look at me, Danny," he whispered. 

Danny opened his eyes, swallowing, looking totally wrecked under Steve. Steve could see he was still wide open emotionally, completely vulnerable in the wake of what happened. 

Steve kissed him softly. "Please trust me." 

Danny wrapped his arms around him, still shaking, rolling them so that Steve lay beside him now. 

"Danny?" Steve touched his cheek with his fingers. 

"I'm trying, Steve. I'm really trying." 

***

Steve put the coffee on before he left for his swim. He'd been reluctant to leave Danny, afraid he wouldn't be there when he got back. He knew Danny was trying, but this was a lot to have thrown at him so soon after his brother ran and now this case. Steve had to give him room. 

And when this case was over, they needed to talk. Really talk. Steve knew Danny needed that. 

But he couldn't help but linger longer than he meant to, watching the other man sleep. Danny was face down, sprawled, hair a mop, the sheet tangled around his hips. He looked like a total train wreck and Steve had to resist the urge to touch and kiss him. Instead he left, false dawn coloring the horizon when he finally hit the water. 

He came in through the lanai, toweling his hair. He could smell the coffee before he came into the kitchen. He wasn't surprised, although admittedly a bit disappointed when he realized Danny wasn't there. There was no mug in the sink either. He sighed, filling a mug for himself after draping the towel around his shoulders. 

"I'm still here." 

Steve looked up, startled then relieved to see Danny standing in the doorway. He was still dressing, tucking his shirt into pants that hung on his hips with the fly and belt undone. He buttoned and zipped up, Steve watching him in complete fascination. 

"You want a cup of coffee?"

"I need to go." Danny shook his head, rolling his sleeves up.

"Danny, I'm not trying to push."

"I know you're not. But Rachel texted me and asked if I would take Grace to school this morning. And I really should get to my apartment and clean up before I go over there." Danny looked at his tie, folded it and shoved it into his pocket. 

"She okay?" Steve set his mug aside. 

"I'm not entirely sure. So I'll drive my little girl to school and we'll talk on the way over." Danny ran his hand over his hair. "I'm really not running, Steve. It's just the timing." He went out into the living room, Steve following. Danny found his keys, wallet and badge, shoving the latter two into his pockets. He finally glanced up at Steve with genuine regret in his eyes. "If it's okay with you, I'll bring over a couple of changes so I don't have to look like I'm running out on you." 

"It's okay, Danny." To his surprise, Danny came across the room and right up to him and rested his hands on Steve's hips. 

"I want to try, Steven. I can't promise I won't get stupid once in a while, but I want to try." 

Steve reached up, cupping Danny's face in one hand. "Let's get through this case and catch this bastard. Then we can catch our breath and talk." He leaned in, kissed Danny who kissed him back. "We'll both try, Danny."

***

Danny pulled up the driveway and cut the engine. He looked at the door of the expensive house his daughter lived in. He'd been hurt and envious of this when he'd come here, angry that he couldn't give Rachel this. But the truth was, it was never about a cop's salary that came between them. It was just easier to tell himself that Stan and his money were the major part in the implosion that had been their marriage. 

Now here he was, putting himself out there in another relationship. He wanted to tell himself this was still a bad idea on a lot of levels, but that wasn't what kept holding him back. Steve had been right when he told Danny last night he'd been afraid. 

The fact was he was terrified of being hurt again. He didn't like thinking back to the wreck he'd been after he and Rachel separated. He barely got through that and only the knowledge that he would lose Grace entirely kept him from going completely over the edge. 

He was already lost now though, hopelessly caught up in the tsunami that was Steve McGarrett. He just had to trust that it wouldn't come apart at the seams this time around. 

He got out of the car when Rachel opened the door and held it for Grace to go ahead of her. He smiled, kneeling down and catching her in his arms when she ran up, burying her face against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

"Hey there, Monkey." He picked her up, hugging her tight. 

"Why are you here?" She looked at him with large dark eyes. 

"Why am I here?" Danny tsked at her as he shifted her weight to one hip. "Didn't your mom tell you it's 'Let A Detective Drive You To School day'?" Danny pointed to himself with his free hand as she smiled at him. "And I just happen to be a detective. A very good one too, I might add. But if you got a better offer—"

"No! I want to ride with you, Danno!" 

Danny gave her a quick grin. "Come on, kiddo, in the car." 

He buckled her in, telling her he'd be right back as he wanted to say goodbye to her mother. Rachel gave him a gentle smile as he came up. "Thank you for taking her. She was a little frightened of going in today because of the accident." 

"I thought it might be that. I'll talk to her on the drive over." Danny glanced past Rachel to the house, wondering if Stan was home from the hospital yet but didn't want to ask. "How are you doing?"

"Sore but okay." She crossed her arms over her chest, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders. The vivid bruise was still sharp across her cheek. "I heard about the university students. I'm sorry, Danny."

Danny looked away, shaking his head. "We'll catch this bastard, I promise. But even if we found him today, it won't bring those kids back or the others he's killed." 

"You blame yourself."

"Yes, I do!" Danny looked back at Grace before meeting Rachel's concerned gaze. "It got personal when you and Grace got dragged into it. And each day he shoots up the highway, with each person he seriously injures or kills, I can't help but get more frustrated."

"Danny—"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Have you heard from Matty?" 

She might as well have slapped him and he could tell she immediately regretted the question. She reached out, her fingers light on his arm as she looked at him with sorrow in her eyes. But it had been her doorstep he'd shown up on when Matt left, twisting Danny's world inside out. 

"I didn't mean—"

"No, it's okay and honestly? I don't think I will." Danny shook his head. "I should go or Grace will be late." 

***

The earlier smile he got out of Grace when he first picked her up had disappeared and she’d gone silent as they drove along the crowded streets. She looked around her at the busy traffic, quiet and wary, her eyes large and her hands twisted in her lap. 

Danny had no intention of going near the highway but it didn't sit well with him that she was so clearly anxious. 

"Gracie, what's wrong? You gonna talk to Danno here?"

She didn't reply, instead staring out the passenger side window as they waited at an intersection for the light to change. 

"Grace, what's wrong, sweetheart?" He reached over, intending to sweep her hair away from her face only to have her flinch in surprise. 

That was never going to do. Not now, not ever. 

He pulled over immediately to the curb, throwing the car in park and unbuckling his seatbelt. Grace had her head down, Danny afraid she was close to tears. He got out and came around quickly, before opening her door and kneeling down. 

"Grace, baby, come here." He undid her seatbelt and she reached for him, eyes bright as he gathered her up, hugging her tight. 

"I'm sorry," her face buried against his shoulder as he stroked her hair. 

"Oh baby, for what? Because you're afraid of riding in a car?" 

She only nodded and Danny pressed a kiss to her forehead before slipping his fingers under her chin and nudging her to look at him. Her cheeks were wet, her eyes large and bright. Danny swept his thumb over her soft skin, wiping at the tears. 

"I would never let anything happen to you, you know that, right?" He brushed his fingers over her other cheek. 

"I just got so scared when we were in the accident. I don't want to think about it, but sometimes, I can't help it." 

"Like when you're in a car?" 

"Uh huh." 

Danny hugged her close again, rocking her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's okay to be afraid, Monkey. But I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you. And I'm gonna catch the man who's doing this."

"You and Uncle Steve?" She looked at him and he smiled, laying the back of his hand gently on her cheek. She had her mother's beautiful eyes, he couldn't help thinking. 

"Yes, and Chin and Kono too." 

"You always catch the bad guys." 

"You know it, babe." He brushed her hair back from her face. "Better?" 

Grace nodded with a shy smile. 

"Okay, how about a kiss?" She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "You missed, kiddo," he teased and she kissed his other cheek. He kissed her back. "Remember, Danno loves you." 

"Love you too." 

***

Steve drove, Danny not even bothering to make a grab for his keys. They'd gone up on the North Shore to talk to the owner of what Danny would have called a "burger palace" back in Newark. Here it was little more than a shack on the beach where the owner, a former Navy sailor and recently retired HPD cop dressed in shorts and a loud Hawaiian shirt, grilled hamburgers. His pretty wife, clearly a local, and two very pretty daughters did the rest.

Teddy, which he insisted they call him, was nothing short of colorful. He was also indulgent of his two daughters and very much in love with his wife of twenty-four years. 

They could have crossed him off back at the office but since they weren't getting any closer to finding out who the damned sniper was, they all figured they would keep working those lists. 

And it didn't hurt to take a lunch break there while they were at it. Danny and Steve took their baskets with fries and tricked out burgers and sat at a picnic table under the shade of the palms, watching the surfers ride the waves. Both of them winced at one of the more spectacular wipe outs. 

"Kono still giving you lessons?" Steve raised an eyebrow as Danny liberally salted his fries. 

"Yeah, here and there. She's surprisingly patient for a _haole_ from New Jersey." Steve was still staring at him. "What?" He didn't bother to hide the exasperation in his voice, hands up. 

Steve snatched the salt shaker from him and carefully put it back on the table. On the far end of the table. Danny just shook his head but let him have his way. 

"I could come out with you guys sometime." Steve took a healthy bite from his hamburger. 

"Oh sure, and give me grief about just how bad I am? I don't think so, McGarrett."

Steve gave him a wounded look but Danny wasn't buying it. 

"I wouldn't do that to you." 

"Much." Danny muttered around his mouthful. A bright red truck drove by, horn and music blaring, loaded with teenagers and surf boards, drawing both men's attention from the bikinis and surf. Danny couldn't help remembering the girl from yesterday, the wrecked car and ruined boards. The warmth of the afternoon chilled down a few degrees. 

"How's Grace?"

"She's afraid to be in a car right now."

"Aw man, I'm sorry." 

The truck with its load of teenagers took off, the girls squealing with laughter. Across the highway, Danny noticed a makeshift cross with flowers mounded around it and leis draped over it. He remembered such things back in New Jersey, set up in the oddest places. He also knew the reasons why. 

"There a bad accident here?"

"A couple weeks ago, remember? Family on vacation hit by a drunk driver. He walked away without a scratch."

Danny did remember now. It had been a horrible accident that should never have happened. What made it worse was the fact that the husband, a sergeant in the Army, had just returned from a tour in Afghanistan. The whole family had come to Hawaii for a well earned vacation only to be killed by a stupid drunk. 

It occurred to Danny then that maybe he'd been looking at the wrong lists. 

"We need to get back to headquarters." He pushed up from the table, grabbing the keys to the Camaro from where Steve had dropped them earlier. 

Steve gave him a curious look but stood up as well. "What're you thinking, Danny?"

"It could be nothing but I need to look up traffic fatalities." He tossed his half eaten lunch out before heading for the car, Steve right with him. "It's just another angle."


	13. Chapter 13

On the way in, the governor called Steve, asking him to please report to her office as soon as possible. Both men knew it had to do with the sniper but Danny suspected that some of the parents of those college kids killed in the accident had flown in. 

Shock and grief were powerful emotions to deal with, especially when it came to a grieving parent. No one should have to bury their child and Danny wasn't sure if he could survive should something happen to Grace. 

He shoved that thought down and hard. Besides, he already knew the answer. 

Danny found himself alone in the Five-0 headquarters as Chin and Kono were still out as well, chasing down their leads. He could pull the information himself but it would be a helluva lot easier and faster with their help. 

He decided to go with the last two years for the time being, he reasoned. This was too fresh in the killer’s mind— grief and anger still close to the surface. But even with going with that parameter, he found himself with a bewildering load of accidents that he somehow needed to par down. Swallowing his impatience and frustration, Danny stood staring at the files and newspaper articles displayed on the surface table. 

"Okay, Williams, go with what you know," he muttered to himself. 

He didn't hear Chin come in at first. He glanced up, grateful the other man had shown up when he did. "Your timing is amazing."

Chin nodded and gave him a serene smile. "You got something here?" He waved a hand over the table. 

"Too much of something and it's giving me a headache. I really need to weed this down." With both hands on the table, Danny leaned over it, shaking his head. 

"New angle?" Chin came around to stand next to Danny and study the mess of files, news reports and arrest warrants. "What is this?"

"Drunk driving fatalities. This is just the past two years." 

"Seriously?" Chin gave Danny a curious look. "What are you looking for here?" 

“I’ll know when I see it. Right now it’s just information overload and I can’t wrap my head around it. There is a reason this guy is shooting up these two highways. And it’s very specific where he’s set up. I was going with the theory that it was the availability of rooftops but now I’m not so sure.”

“Let me strip out everything that doesn’t fall into those stretches.” Chin pulled up the map of Honolulu and Waikiki then swept his hand across it, tossing it up onto the monitors. “These are the locations and times of the attacks.” He tapped in the information and red markers appeared on the map. “And these are the accidents that coincide with the same stretches of highway.”

Danny watched as blue markers now appeared on the screen along with the red. He walked up to the monitors, arms crossed over his chest as he studied the map. “Okay, this is good, this is a lot better.” He hesitated, considering the profile they were going with. “Can you pull out any where the drunk driver was killed?”

He heard Chin tapping behind him and watched as a couple blue markers came off the map. 

“Now anything where the only fatalities were victims fifty or older.” 

That eliminated another three. 

“That leaves twenty-three.” Chin noted. 

“And I can work with that.” Danny turned from the monitors and came back to the table. 

They both glanced up when they heard Steve come into the office. He looked worn for lack of a better word. He came over to the table, Danny reading the tension across the shoulders and the set of the other man's jaw. 

"Didn't go too well, I'm betting." 

Steve scrubbed his hands over his face before shaking his head. 

"Oh, it went just fine if you don't mind telling parents that their kids were killed in a senseless act of violence. And that HPD and Five-0 are no closer to catching the man who’s doing this." Steve hung his head between his arms as he rested both hands flat on the table. 

There really wasn't anything to say to that as Chin gave Danny a quiet look. 

"The governor has promised to contact those rifle manufacturers on our behalf since they seem to be dragging their feet on our repeated requests for their client lists." Steve indicated the table. "You got anything here?" 

"Chin just helped me sort it down to something more reasonable. There are twenty-three drunk driving fatalities from the last two years that I'm gonna start digging through. If you get those client lists, we might be able to make a match up."

“You think this might somehow tie into this?”

“I think there is a very specific reason he’s doing this and it’s just not some whack job who likes to take target practice on moving vehicles.” Danny shrugged. “It’s just another theory to chase down, it may lead to nothing.” 

"And Kono?" Steve glanced at Chin. 

"She was stopping by the crime lab, seeing if Fong got anything useful off that video cam we pulled out of the wreckage yesterday." 

***

The first time Danny watched the video, he missed it. He couldn’t help it, he was too caught up in the obvious, couldn’t separate the analytical from the emotional. For him, it was always the emotional first, it was how he was wired and he’d be damned if he apologized for it. 

So instead of seeing the shooter caught by sheer luck on the video camera, Danny saw the six teenagers in the minivan. He saw Emily, her eyes sparkling with her bright smile, her long hair whipping around her face from the wind pouring through the open windows as they drove down Ala Moana Boulevard on the way to the beach. He watched as the camera panned and jerked and bounced around the inside of the vehicle as Emily’s friend, Donna, recorded what was supposed to be a carefree day of sun and surfing. 

He’d always been this way, seeing people, not a crime scene at first blush. The horror of what people could do to each always hit him like a punch. It was bewildered sorrow or heated anger that washed over him in those first few moments before he reined it in and became the detective. 

But he never lost sight of what any of this was. That people’s lives were taken and the grief of those left to cope in its wake. 

So no, he didn’t see the shooter that Donna captured as she literally hung out the window of the minivan, her friends keeping her from falling out as she shot the Waikiki skyline over the vehicle’s roof. 

What he did see was the shock and horror as the minivan suddenly swerved. He heard the startled gasps, the shouts and shrieks; Emily’s scream at Donna as she was dragged back inside only seconds before the minivan lost complete control and rolled. He watched, his heart in his mouth, his chest tight as the kids and everything else in the vehicle were tossed and tumbled like clothes in a spin cycle before the camera went dark. 

“Dear God…” Kono whispered. 

Danny swallowed against the tightness in his chest, against the vivid memory of the Camaro’s windshield being blown out and Kono’s startled cry. The screaming of the two children trapped in the car in front of them filled his ears, the gunshots making him flinch. Emily’s glazed eyes as she looked at him, looked past him. 

_“I don’t know you…”_

“Danny?” 

Steve was beside him, eyes dark with his concern. 

Danny looked away and found Kono looking at him. Her eyes mirrored his own internal turmoil. “Play it again, I missed the shooter.” 

She didn’t reply, only slid her gaze away from his and tapped her fingers gracefully over the table surface. This time she paused it where Donna’s camera caught the muzzle flash of the shooter. 

Danny walked up to the monitor, staring. There wasn’t a lot there, though, the distance and the quality of the footage not all that great. 

“We able to do anything with this?” he heard Steve ask. “Clarify the image?”

“No, this is the best we have. It confirms the location that we already knew. But beyond that, we can’t even verify if it’s a man or woman. It’s just too far away,” Chin spoke up. 

Steve nodded to the monitors. “Give me the best still you can manage. I might be able to narrow down the rifle. It’s a long shot, I know but I’ll try anyway.”

***

Danny was able to toss out twelve of the drunk driving incidents at first look through. Four more he set aside as needing a closer look. Steve found him in his office with the remaining files, reading and making notes, muttering under his breath when Steve pushed the door open. 

“Hey, it’s getting late.” 

Danny cast him a distracted glance before shaking his head and shuffling another file to the “not likely” pile. 

“I want to get through these last reports.” He opened up the next one. “Anything from the gun manufacturers yet?”

“No, but I got a promise for a full list of clients from one of them tomorrow. I’m not gonna hold my breath at this point, though.”

Danny didn’t realize Steve came all the way into his office until his partner sat on the edge of his desk. He glanced up, meeting Steve’s quiet gaze. “What?”

“It’s late— I’ve sent Chin and Kono home to get some rest. And in case you didn’t notice, the sniper apparently took the day off.” Steve nodded at the files. “They’ll be here in the morning. Let’s go.”

“And I want to push through these. Go if you want— I don’t have a problem with staying and finishing this up.” Danny didn’t bother to hide the irritation from his tone. 

“Danny—“

“No, Steven.” 

“You aren’t responsible for those kids yesterday.”

“Don’t start with me,” Danny growled, reaching for his coffee mug. It was empty, adding to his already pissy mood. 

“Well, too bad, you’ll listen to what I have to say anyway,” Steve snapped as he slid off the desk and faced Danny, arms crossed. “You aren’t responsible for any of this— including Rachel and Grace.”

“No, Stan gets all the credit for Rachel and Grace, that one I can hand off relatively guilt free. But not the rest!” Danny shoved the mug aside and pushed to his feet. “I’m sick to death of this, of the control he has right now because we’re chasing our tails around!”

“And we’ll get him, Danny! Another day or two and we’ll get him!”

“But meanwhile he gets to line up another time tomorrow, on either Ala Moana or the freeway and we just shake our heads and pick up the pieces after he’s done!”

“If we have to, yes! Running yourself into the ground won’t change that!”

“I’m a big boy, Steven, I don’t need you to tell me when to take a nap!”

Steve opened his mouth to retort but instead turned away, pushing his hands through his hair. Danny stood, vibrating with his anger as he watched Steve’s back. 

What was it about him that had him slapping at Steve every chance he got over these past few days? Christ, what the hell was wrong with him? Would he be doing this when the case was over— constantly pushing Steve away? 

He’d promised to try harder this morning, but he couldn’t promise Steve he wouldn’t be stupid. _Didn’t take you long to prove your point, did it, Williams?_

Steve turned back, head up and eyes dark as he looked at him. Danny could tell there was something he wanted to say, could see it in the other man’s eyes. 

There was a line here Steve wasn’t going to cross, where this went from professional to personal. 

Danny didn’t know if he wanted to be annoyed or relieved. Steve just stood, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

Christ, he was such a jerk even on his best days. Was it any wonder Rachel even married him let alone stayed with him as long as she did? Danny shuffled the files he still wanted to review into a neat pile in the middle of his desk and logged his computer off, Steve, still silent, watching him.

“Let’s get something to eat.” Danny tossed him the keys before pushing past and out of his office. He didn’t wait to see if Steve followed.

***

Steve continued to be quiet in the car, concentrating on his driving and weaving the car in and out of the late evening traffic. The sun had set, Honolulu cast in the last of the day’s twilight in advance of full dark. 

They rode in silence for several blocks, something they rarely did even when pissed off at each other. Danny was not one to keep his mouth in check, something Steve actually appreciated about his friend. With Danny, you always knew where you stood. He was brutally honest if nothing else and not afraid to say as much. 

Steve watched the light change before they moved with the traffic. He’d come close back in the office to telling Danny he was being an idiot again, trying to shove him back using the excuse of the case to do it. He came so close to snapping at Danny when he realized that he couldn’t say it, not there. 

Not in the office. 

If they were going to make a run at this, what was happening between them was to be kept strictly separated. Steve knew this would be one of Danny’s rules when they finally did sit down and talk and well, Steve had to agree. 

So he bit the words back and turned away, giving himself some space to rein it in and hopefully Danny a minute to dial it back. 

Now they were in limbo, both of them waiting for the other to call time-out first. 

Steve resolved it would be Danny, at least for this round. 

They drove several more blocks, winding into Waikiki, a cool breeze from the open windows blowing over them. 

“We’re off the clock, Steven.”

He didn’t glance at Danny, but he had no problem sensing the other man’s gaze on him. 

“Uh huh,” Steve nodded, still watching the road and traffic before making a turn. 

The silence backfilled into the Camaro, Steve tossing a glance at Danny. The other man had his head down, rubbing his palms on the fabric of his dress slacks. Steve shook his head, deciding that maybe enough was enough. 

“Danny—“

“I’m sorry, okay?” Danny had his hands up, slicing through the air. “I said I would try, and I am! I just don’t know what gets into me sometimes.” 

Steve pulled into a beachside parking lot that was pretty much empty at this hour and parked the car. 

“I’m not asking for an apology, Danny. And I get this case is tough and that it got personal, I understand that. I just don’t want you shutting me out.” 

“I don’t mean to.” Danny shoved the door open and got out of the car with sharp movements. He walked toward the beach, shoulders tight and hands in fists, Steve recognizing the barely contained frustration.

He got out and followed Danny down to the tide line. The ocean lapped lazily at the sand. 

They stood in silence for a bit, Steve a few feet behind Danny, hands shoved in his pockets as he watched the last of the twilight melt into full dark. Behind them, the city came alive for the night. Steve could hear people's voices and laughter from a nearby beachside restaurant. 

"Danny, I think I might have pushed for this at the wrong time." Steve shook his head. "Maybe we should step back from what's going on here, and get through the case."

"Maybe." Danny had his head down, shoulders rounded. "But that's not what I want." He turned, meeting Steve's gaze. "We're in this now and I don't regret that."

"And I don't want you to regret this." Steve stepped up to him. He needed to touch Danny so he carefully reached over and ran his hand down the other man's arm. "I'm just afraid the timing is wrong for you is all." 

"I'm not sure there will be any better time, really. My brother's gone— he made that decision and that's not changing. There are always going to be cases, some uglier than others, it's what we do. And Hawaii is where I am now. It's still not home but I'm working on it." Danny caught Steve's hand, raised it between them and slotted their fingers together. "I don't accept change gracefully, Steven. But this—" and he pointed to first Steve and then himself with his free hand. "This I want. You I want. And need." 

"Come home with me," Steve whispered. He stepped closer to Danny, lost in the other man's gaze as they came together. Danny reached up, resting his hand on the back of Steve's neck and they nuzzled for a brief moment before simply standing there, forehead to forehead. "Stay the night with me, Danny." 

"I'd like that." 

***

It didn't always have to be about sex. 

Steve listened to Danny's breathing, his friend finally asleep beside him in Steve's bed. Like so many other things, when Danny did something, he did it big. Even in something as simple as sleeping, where Danny sprawled, face down, hair a wild tangle. But even passed out, he still moved, the guy always in motion even when sound asleep. 

He was half draped over Steve now, face tucked against Steve's shoulder. Steve absently traced his fingers along the arm Danny had flung over his chest, a cool breeze playing over them from the open doors and windows. Outside, the surf crashed ashore in the dark. 

Over the years, Steve had more than his fair share of bed companions, Catherine being his latest. But no one came with the energy and passion that Danny brought with him. Not one of them had made Steve think twice about something more permanent. It was casual and fun and easy going and that's all he'd been willing to give. He could walk away any time he wanted. 

There was no walking away from this. 

More importantly, Steve didn’t want to. 

Danny shifted restlessly beside him, Steve stilling his hand. He thought for a moment Danny would pull away but he didn't, just resettled, his breathing evening out again. 

Steve couldn't help but wonder how long this could go on between them. This level of intensity burned so brightly right now. But there was a lot they both had to get around. To say this was complicated was an understatement. 

Danny was like a hurricane with Grace the serene center he revolved around. 

He still hurt, still had gaping wounds from his failed marriage. But he was trying and Steve couldn’t and wouldn’t ask more than that. 

It wasn’t like he didn’t come with his own baggage, being an officer and SEAL in the Navy and finally willing to come face to face with his own sexuality. 

But with Danny, he wanted to. The man was worth all the risks. 

Steve gently pushed the hair off Danny’s face and softly kissed him. 

They needed to weather through this case, then they could sort everything out. Of one thing Steve was sure— he wanted this. Wanted Danny, complications and all.


	14. Chapter 14

Governor Jamison had the morning news on in her office while she sipped her coffee and looked at her calendar. The top story— the Honolulu Sniper of course. McGarrett would be coming in shortly with an update on where her special task force was with the situation. She'd personally contacted the two gun manufacturers in hopes that her position might get them to see their way clear to helping, but she hadn't heard yet if they'd come through. 

This was getting way out of hand. The press were having a field day with this—pointing out that neither HPD or Five-0 were any closer to solving the case and catching the sniper. She thought that maybe a press conference this afternoon might be in order, try to calm everyone down and assure them that everything was being done to bring this maniac to justice. 

Her assistant stuck her head in after a polite knock. "Excuse me, Governor, but I have a pair of federal agents here requesting to speak to you." 

Jamison put her mug down, raising her head. "Now the FBI shows up?" She sighed. "Show them in, please. When Commander McGarrett arrives, please have him come right in as well." 

Jamison muted the news and rose, walking over to the windows with her arms crossed. Steve wasn't going to like the feds pushing in on this. She knew his team had been working long hard hours to run this guy down. And she agreed, but the reality was, people were still getting hurt and even killed and maybe the feds had something to offer. 

She turned when she heard the two men come into her office. She took her measure of both of them as she noted one held a large manila envelope. 

"Governor Jamison, thank you for seeing us." The taller of the two men smiled and extended his hand. "I'm Special Agent Jenkins, this is Special Agent Marlow." 

"Of course. Please have a seat. What can I do for the FBI?" She went back to her desk and sat, still watching the two men. Jenkins was tall and lanky, with thinning hair and washed out blue eyes. His partner was younger but not by much in Jamison's estimation. Tall like Jenkins, but this man had a more solid build. She got a sense of former military with the way he moved, the ruthlessly short hair and way he took in her office. 

"About your task force— Five-0 isn't it?" Jenkins sat but Marlow didn't. 

"Yes." She sat back in her seat, narrowing her eyes. There was something up here and she was getting the distinct impression this had nothing to do with the sniper. "I authorized it and they answer directly to me."

"Lieutenant Commander McGarrett is still active military?" 

"He's Navy Reserves now, but I think you know that." 

"And Detective Williams— you are aware that his brother, Matthew Williams, is under investigation by the Bureau?"

"Yes, I'm very aware of that situation. It's my understanding that Matthew Williams has also fled the country." She sat up, clasping her hands and resting her elbows on her desk. "What is this really about, gentlemen?" She let a hint of steel creep into her voice. She didn't like being toyed with. 

"We thought you should be made aware of a situation that has come to our attention in the course of our investigation into Matthew Williams." Jenkins leaned forward and placed the envelope on her desk before sitting back. "This could be a source of concern." 

She knew this would be photos before she even pulled them out. What she didn't expect was what the pictures were of. 

It was McGarrett and Williams on the beach, at night, face to face, leaning into each other, hands clasped. She knew these two, knew they were tight as partners and had wondered on more than one occasion if maybe there was more to it than that. 

Apparently there was. 

She flipped through the remainder— nothing sensational or gasp worthy. Steve outside of what she guessed to be Danny's apartment without a shirt. Both men going into Steve's house. Which proved nothing. The beach pictures were the only real tell, such as they were. 

"And this should concern me how, Agent Jenkins?" She slid the photos back into the envelope before sitting back in her chair. 

"Your task force leader and one of his subordinates in a relationship? Not to mention that McGarrett is active military and Williams— he has a young daughter, I believe." Jenkins spread his hands wide, trying for a look of innocence that fell flat with Jamison. 

She got a sense of what was about to happen here and it annoyed her. She was a lot of things but if Steve and Danny found themselves in a relationship with each other, she couldn’t care less. 

"Clearly you are under the delusion that I might be a bigot. Let me assure you, gentlemen, I'm not. I also gave Commander McGarrett free rein on who he has on my task force and how he runs it." She tapped her fingers on the envelope. "If he and Detective Williams are in a relationship, I have not one problem with that. The complications it presents is for them to sort out." 

Jenkins narrowed his eyes at her. "So you have no problem with them being gay? And that McGarrett is Williams' boss? Not to mention the Navy’s dim view on homosexuality." 

"If you thought that by coming here and flashing a few photos of two men holding hands on one of our beaches was going to shock me— you'll have to do better than this." She returned Jenkins’ glare. "And I won't use these for you in an effort to get Detective Williams to tell you where his brother is, even if he knew. Because that's what this is really about, isn’t it?" she snapped. 

"We have reason to believe he does. And possibly Commander McGarrett who has extensive connections through Naval Intelligence." 

"I have a maniac terrorizing Honolulu right now and the FBI's more concerned about an embezzler who skipped the country and two law enforcement officers involved in a gay relationship?" She rose to her feet and leaned over her desk. "You'd both be wise to get the hell out of my office. And don't even think of approaching the Navy or Detective Williams' family in an effort to exploit this because I'll be contacting your superiors, you can count on it. I find it hard to believe that the FBI has nothing better to do than follow two grown men and snap pictures of them. Now get out."

Jenkins rose, color staining his cheeks. "Have it your way, Governor." The two men swept out of her office. 

For the love of God, really? 

She called in her assistant, still gnashing her teeth over the encounter. "I need you go find out who the Bureau chief of this district is and how I can get in contact with him." 

"Yes, ma'am. Is everything okay?" 

"Just that I hate the FBI." 

***

"You'll contact me if those manufacturers don't get back to you by ten this morning?" 

"Yes, ma'am. If we could get those lists and combine them with Danny's angle, I think we'll have our shooter." 

"Good. If we could at least know who we're dealing with by the end of today; that would be a huge help." Steve nodded and started to climb to his feet, but Jamison waved him back. "There's something else I need to talk to you about."

Steve settled back, both concerned and curious. "Is there something wrong, Governor?"

She sighed and glanced out her windows for a moment before looking back at Steve. "The FBI came by this morning."

"We're close to having this solved and they suddenly want to take over?" Steve did his best to watch his tone. This wasn't Jamison's fault, after all. 

"No, they weren't here about the sniper." She picked up an envelope and held it out to Steve. 

Steve couldn't help the feeling of dread that washed over him. He took the envelope and slid the pictures out. 

"Damn," he whispered. Danny had warned him but Steve didn't think they would actually follow his partner around. Thank god there wasn't anything earth shattering here. Last night's public display, though, that was the money shot. 

Bastards. 

"Is there something you want to tell me?" There was a gentleness in her voice that caused Steve to look up at her. He slid the pictures back in and put the envelope on her desk before climbing to his feet. 

"I think it's pretty self explanatory." Sweet Christ. This was not how he wanted to see this handled. 

Jamison got up and came around her desk. "Steve, this doesn't bother me. I would like to have found out from you and Daniel instead, but I have no problem with it, if that's what you're worried about."

"This only started a few days ago. We haven't even figured it out yet, just that we were tired of dancing around what we both knew was an attraction." Steve shook his head. What the hell was he going to tell Danny? "Why did the FBI bring you these? To try and embarrass you?" 

"They think that both of you know where Daniel's brother is." 

"A warning."

"No, an outright threat. They think they have something here they can hold over your heads."

"My military career."

"And Daniel's family. I made it clear they could go to hell and spoke to their immediate supervisor about trying blackmail. Then I went further up the ladder and gave an earful to his supervisor." Jamison gave him a thin smile, a glint in her eye. "I don't suffer bigots or threats very well. And it was nice to tear a piece off of someone." 

"Danny has no idea where his brother is. It’s got him and his family so torn up."

"I'm sorry this happened to them." 

"So am I. It's hit him hard. And then this case." Steve sucked in a deep breath before meeting Jamison's eyes. "I know I'm his boss and believe me, we both know there are a lot of complications beyond that."

"I think it's been a long time coming. And honestly, I had wondered, Steve.” She rested her hand on his arm, her fingers cool against his skin. "Steve, I gave you absolute authority over your team. How you choose to run it is up to you, so long as the job is getting done." She hesitated, then gave him a gentle smile. "You're both adults and I don’t have a problem with this."

Steve felt the relief wash over him as he closed his eyes and ducked his head. He took another deep breath, calming his racing thoughts. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I would have told you."

"I know." She gave his arm a light squeeze before stepping away and going back to her desk. "Now that we have that out of the way, let's see about catching that sniper."

Steve smiled and nodded. "Yes, ma’am." He headed for the door, still processing what had just happened and that Jamison now knew. 

"And Steve?" She waited until he was looking at her. "Be careful, both of you. I don’t have a problem with you and Daniel but we both know what will happen to you and your career with the Navy should this be brought to their attention. I won’t be able to protect you in this.”

Steve nodded. “Understood.”

***

They’d caught a break yesterday with no attacks by the sniper. But it was short lived as Danny studied the body of a man who’d been shot in the head through the windshield. His vehicle then got rear ended by a young woman, both ending up slamming against the guard rails. 

Chin and Kono spoke to the woman who leaned back against the wreck of her dark blue car. She held a towel to her temple, blood covering half her face and dripping from her elbow. She held her left hand against her chest, Danny suspecting her wrist could be broken. 

The mid morning heat shimmered and danced over the asphalt and glared off of shattered windshields and twisted metal. Danny tugged at his tie then held it flat against his chest as he leaned further into the car he’d been inspecting. The windshield was a shattered mess, glass everywhere, much the same as the Camaro’s when they’d been hit. 

He pushed back the unbidden flashback of the windshield exploding, Kono’s startled cry. He needed to focus on the here and now. 

Danny popped the glove box, digging out some of the paperwork. Bingo, the registration and insurance cards were in there. He glanced at the name and address before pulling back enough to see Steve standing behind him. 

“Hey, there you are.” Danny handed him the paperwork, then carefully started to pat the body down in an effort to find the man’s wallet. 

“Yeah, sorry. Was just leaving the governor’s office when I got the call. We know much yet?”

Danny found the wallet and eased it out of the pants' pocket. “Not a lot. Witness statements seem to point to this poor bastard as being hit first. Chin and Kono are talking to the woman who rear ended him.” Danny waved his free hand in the vague direction of the cousins. He pulled back and stood up, squinting at Steve in the brilliant sunlight. 

There was something in the other man’s eyes that made Danny pause. Steve ducked his head, rubbing his hand over his face before focusing back on Danny. Whatever it was, Steve had locked it down, giving nothing away to Danny. 

“Okay— was anyone else shot?” Steve glanced at the registration. 

“Yeah, another male. He was driving a load of produce in a pickup truck.” Danny tried to catch Steve’s gaze. “We’ve also got two other dead as a result of the pileup. Both women.”

“Damn it.” Steve shook his head but still didn’t look at Danny. 

Something was off here, Danny not sure what was bothering Steve beyond the obvious mess around them. 

“The governor giving you a hard time?”

“No, she just wanted an update.” 

“Uh huh.” Danny decided to let it go for the time being. If Steve was still acting off key when they got back to the office, he’d corner him there and find out what the hell was wrong. Danny opened the wallet, found the man’s driver’s license. “I got a Donald Marlow, born in 1955.” He pointed at the papers in Steve’s hand. “That match up?”

“Yeah, Donald Marlow. Kahala address.” 

Danny pulled an evidence bag he’d half tucked in his back pocket, snapping it open with a sharp flick and dropped the wallet inside. Steve added the insurance and registration. 

Kono and Chin came over, Kono meeting Danny’s eyes for a moment before glancing away. 

“Anything?” Steve asked. 

“Not really. Her name is Alana Keoloha. She thought it’d be safe to take the H1 in this morning since there wasn’t an attack yesterday and she was running late to work. She remembers the car in front of her suddenly veering and before she realized it, she’d slammed into it. She really doesn’t remember much after that.” Chin sighed. “Talking to a lot of these people and they all thought the same thing; the sniper didn’t shoot up the highways yesterday so…”

“They foolishly thought it was over with.” Danny finished for him. 

Steve looked around at all the wreckage and injured. “He was counting on it.”

***

It would be tomorrow before they’d know the exact location the shooter used for this latest attack. The local media already had their teeth in it, reminding people that the sniper was still at large and to stay off the H1 and Ala Moana Boulevard. 

Governor Jamison would be holding a press conference in another hour or so to try and calm things down. This after they all realized the Honolulu Sniper was now on the national news. 

As if his parents and sisters didn’t have enough to worry about with Matt and that mess, they now were getting this crisis shoved in their faces as well. 

He hadn’t told them about Rachel and Grace. Yet. 

Jamison wasn’t happy with Hawaii being showcased this way. And although Danny told himself he hated this place, he knew tourism was huge here and people’s livelihoods depended on it. 

It was Grace’s home. It was all their homes. 

It wasn’t only that, though. He’d never admit it out loud, not even to Grace, but this was a beautiful place and way of life— even if not his. None of it should be held hostage by one man with a high powered sniper rifle. Enough was enough. It was time to end it and bring this guy to ground. 

He watched Kono through the glass of his office as she worked at the computer table, her fingers tapping and sliding over the surface, her face a mask of concentration. Chin Ho was in Steve’s office, both men going over the list of customers they’d finally received only an hour ago from one of the rifle manufacturers. 

Danny returned his attention to the file in his lap. He sat back in his desk chair, flipping through photos and reports of a drunk driving incident that happened about a year ago. Earlier that morning he’d narrowed his search down to four cases he felt held the most promise before they’d been called out to the latest shooting. 

As with the other three cases, the drunk driver had walked away with only a few scratches. 

Not so for the woman he’d hit— Mia Akuini. 

Danny leaned over enough to reach his keyboard and tapped in the man’s name, searching for the court hearing and what happened. He narrowed his eyes and huffed when he read the guy got off with nothing more than a fine and suspended license barely three months ago. 

Left in his wake, a family shattered because a wife and mother had died senselessly. 

Her husband, Greg Akuini, was a Hawaii state trooper. Before that, he’d been career military, a decorated Marine, a gunnery sergeant who got out after several tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Born here in Hawaii, he moved back with his family. 

Something resonated here for Danny, tugged at the back of his mind but he couldn’t put it together just yet. 

There was something else as well, something he was missing. 

Taking the file with him, Danny went out into the main office, Kono looking up at him. 

“I need a look at a state trooper named Greg Akuini,” Danny asked as Kono cast him a puzzled look. 

“Okay, but we’d have to put in a special request to get his personnel file.” She quietly tapped in the name. 

“If we need to, we’ll get Steve to lean on Jamison for it.”

“What are you looking at here, Danny?” 

“I’ll know when I see it. Just give me all the public stuff right now— not just what’s on file with the state troopers. I need anything you can pull up here.” 

Steve and Chin came out of Steve's office, Steve holding a tablet. Chin looked at the information Kono pulled up, eyes narrowing as he read it. 

“I know this guy,” he murmured, joining Kono. “I don’t know why, but I do.”

“His wife was killed about a year ago in a drunk driving accident on the H1.” Danny handed Chin the file. “The driver got off about three months ago.

“I remember him now.” Kono paused, looking up at Chin. “Wasn’t his daughter killed a few years ago?”

“Yes— I remember now! It was a real tragedy. She’d only turned sixteen and was out with her friends when they got hit on Ala Moana. Then he loses his wife the same way last year.” Chin tapped rapidly on the table’s keyboard. “I would have gone to the funeral, but I wasn’t exactly welcome. Here it is— Mary Akuini, killed by a drunk driver May 16th, 2008. The driver already had a suspended license for several previous DUIs.” 

Chin swept his hand over the surface, several articles filling the monitors so that they could all read them. 

“Sweet Christ, and he didn’t end up doing any jail time for this?” Steve pointed at the man responsible for Mary Akuini’s death. 

Danny looked at the pictures and articles. Chin clicked on a TV report, showing part of the funeral. It appeared the entire law enforcement community as well as several uniformed Marines were in attendance for Greg’s daughter. 

A family of a different sort, there to support their own. 

Then to lose his wife two years later. The same way. With the same justice meted out. 

Danny looked at both Mary and Mia’s pictures. 

And it all fell into place for him. 

“The wife’s name— Mia!” He pointed at her. “The initials we matched up at all the hotels—it wasn’t AIM—

“It was Mia,” Kono finished as she stared at Danny. 

"Is his name on those customer lists we got?" 

"Checking now…" Chin pulled up the client lists on the table before tapping in Akuini's name. "Yeah, he's here."

Steve leaned over the table, reading the specs on the custom made rifle Akuini had ordered only a couple months ago. "That's a top end sniper rifle, made specifically for him." Steve scrolled through the specs and information. "He knew exactly what he wanted. Took delivery on it a little over three weeks ago."

"Just before the shootings started." Danny met Steve's gaze. "It's him."

"I know." Steve shook his head, regret shadowing his dark eyes. "He's gone over the edge. Now we have to bring him down."


	15. Chapter 15

They weren't going to find Sergeant Greg Akuini of the Hawaii State Troopers waiting for them at his home, but they had to check anyway.

It was a pretty little bungalow on a quiet street, in the same neighborhood as Amy and Billy Hanamoa. 

SWAT had gone in first, Five-0 on their heels but they quickly found the house vacant. To Danny's eye, it looked like it had been that way for at least a month. He trailed his fingers over the countertops in the kitchen, noting the dust. When he opened the fridge, it was completely empty. The same with the freezer. He closed it with a shake of his head when Steve came in, still holding his rifle. 

"There's nothing here." 

"No one's been here in weeks." Danny holstered his pistol. "Crime scene unit can go over this with a fine toothed comb but I doubt they're gonna find anything we don't already know about him."

"I know, but sometimes we get lucky. At least we know who we’re dealing with now." Steve glanced at Chin and Sergeant Lukela when they came into the kitchen. 

"There's nothing outside or in the shed out back." Chin still had his shotgun. "Nothing in the garage either."

"Sergeant, have some uniforms talk to the neighbors and see if they can remember the last time they saw him here." Steve nodded to Lukela.

"I saw a mom and pop store a few blocks back. Have someone talk to the owners, see if they knew the family, when they last saw him." Danny suggested. 

"On it." Lukela left and Kono came in. 

"Everything's secured." 

"Let's get back. I need to update the governor and we need to get his complete file from the troopers." 

"They're gonna just love us." Chin rested the shotgun on his shoulder. 

"I'll talk to the commander." Danny took one final look around the empty kitchen and couldn't help wondering how it had come to this. A good man pushed over the edge. 

He'd been there too, on that ledge, looking into the abyss his life had become when he and Rachel had separated. Matty had kept him from falling in, from doing anything monumentally stupid that would, in the end, cost him Grace. 

Now his brother was gone, running from his own mistakes and bad choices. Danny had tried to help him, but Matt made his decisions and Danny couldn't forget the look in his brother's eyes as they faced each other at that airstrip. 

_“Try to fix things? What are you going to do, huh? You’re just gonna run away? You going to fly off and forget about us, huh? That’s your plan? Hey, I’m asking you a question!”_

He'd already lost Matt, it had been too late. The man that looked back at him wasn't the goofy and sweet younger brother Danny grew up with.

He couldn't defend him any more. 

And now there was no one to defend Greg Akuini. 

***

It was after midnight when Steve pulled the Camaro into his driveway. He glanced over at Danny who was having a hard time staying awake. 

"Why don't you stay here tonight?" 

Danny rolled his shoulders and ran his hands over his hair. "I'm not gonna be much good for anything more than crashing."

"Well good, because neither am I." He got out, fishing for his house keys. He heard Danny behind him as he unlocked the door and went inside, flipping on a few lights. He went straight for the kitchen, dropping the keys on the counter. 

"You want a beer?" Steve was already in the fridge. He straightened up in time to see Danny empty his pockets. 

"Yeah," Danny walked out onto the lanai and dropped gracelessly into one of the chairs. 

Steve joined him, raising his face to the breeze that blew in from the ocean. It was a clear night, the stars a glittering tapestry over the inky darkness of the ocean. Steve stretched his legs out as he took a long swallow of his beer. 

"You gonna tell me what happened at the governor's office this morning?" Danny wasn't looking at him. He had his head back, eyes closed. "I'd really rather we hashed it out before we go to bed, just so you know."

"Danny—"

"Don't." Danny shifted and looked over at him now, his eyes dark in the shadows. "I was married once. Rachel and I used to do this to each other all the time and it got us nowhere." He sat up, still watching Steve. "So what's going on, Steven?"

Steve glanced away, sucking in a deep breath. He wasn't intending to hide this from Danny but this wasn't what he had in mind, either. Okay, so he really didn't have anything in mind on how to tell him they'd been "outed." 

"The governor knows." 

"The governor knows what, Steven?" Danny waved his empty hand. 

Steve set his bottle aside and got to his feet, Danny watching his every move as he went to the edge of the lanai and stared out into the darkness. 

"She knows about us, is that it?" Danny's voice was soft and Steve glanced back at him, afraid of what he'd see there. 

"The FBI, they've been following you— us," Steve shook his head. "They got lucky last night."

"Us on the beach." Danny stayed where he was. 

"They thought they could shock Jamison, get her to pressure us on your brother."

"Matty?" Now Danny got to his feet, an edge to his voice. "Because God knows there isn't anything else more important than to try and get some pictures of a couple of guys together!" Danny smacked his bottle down on the nearby table, before pushing his hands through his hair. "I'm sure Jamison must love this— her task force commander and one of his subordinates in a relationship." 

"She couldn’t care less. She was insulted and furious with the two idiots and I'm sure some asses got kicked today after she got done talking to some superiors." 

"Rachel won't care, my family won't care, Steve. But you're still Navy, you still have a career with them." Danny shook his head. "I didn't want to put you in this position."

"And you didn't!" Steve snapped, he couldn't help it. "We're adults and I came into this with wide open eyes, Danny— same as you! I'm not going to be made to feel ashamed of this."

Danny didn't say anything. Steve could see the fury and worry in his eyes. 

"Danny, we're still trying to figure this out, it's all new to me. We both know that. It was the Navy that kept me from facing a lot of things about myself for years." 

"What's Jamison want you to do?" 

"Nothing. Really, Danny, she doesn't care. It's my task force to run as I see fit. She has no problem with us." Steve gave him a tentative smile. "Although she does wish she'd heard it from me first rather than have the FBI out us to her."

"Sweet Christ." Danny's shoulders sagged as he balled his hands into fists. "As if this isn't complicated enough for us."

Steve came up to him, rested his hand on Danny's back between his shoulders. He worried. Danny was still so skittish about all of this and Steve feared this would be all the excuse Danny needed to put an end to what they finally had between them. 

"I don't want to end this. Not now, Danny. I'm in too deep with you."

Danny finally looked up at him. "I can't walk away from this now, Steve, even if I wanted to." He turned, facing him. 

"Do you? Want to walk away?" Steve needed to know but was terrified what the answer would be. If Danny was anything, he was always honest. 

"No, I don't. This is where I want to be." Danny reached up, rested the back of his fingers against Steve's cheek. 

Steve closed his eyes and leaned into the simple touch, one he'd seen Danny give Grace on more than one occasion. He reached for Danny, pulling him close, seeking his mouth and they came together in a deep kiss. Danny opened his mouth under his with a soft moan. They parted with Danny nuzzling and touching Steve's face, one of the things Steve realized he loved about this man. 

He ghosted a soft kiss over Danny's cheek, capturing his face between his hands and pressed another one between his eyes. "Come to bed with me…" He met Danny's gaze and saw his answer there. 

***

Steve stripped his shirt off the moment they crossed the threshold into the bedroom. Danny watched him, taking in the sight. Steve didn't seem to notice, busy now with unlacing and stripping his boots off. There was a sense of urgency not lost on Danny. He got the feeling that Steve was afraid he might change his mind. 

And not necessarily about the sex.

Steve finished with his boots and socks and stood up straight. Only then did he finally pause, glancing at Danny who hadn't so much as undone a button of his dress shirt. 

"What's wrong?" Steve stood half dressed in the middle of the bedroom, bathed in the moonlight that spilled into the room. He looked amazing. And unsure, concern and uneasiness there in the dark eyes. 

"Just admiring the view." Danny smiled. "Come here, will ya?" He extended his hand and Steve came to him immediately. 

Danny was a shameless toucher and he knew it. He couldn't help it but he didn't have to with Steve. Steve, who seemed to come alive under his hands. 

He slid his hands over Steve's shoulders and down his arms. There was so much here he didn't yet know but loved the idea of taking his time to learn. Not in a few nights or weeks, but over a lifetime. 

He didn't flinch away from the thought. A couple of weeks ago, he couldn't even begin to wrap his head around it but so much had changed over the last few days. 

He told Rachel he wasn’t ready. The truth was he wasn’t sure he’d ever have been. If Steve hadn’t reached out to him, kept reaching out to him…

He was still afraid, he could admit that— afraid that Steve would one day grow tired of this and want to move on. 

He remembered what Steve said a couple nights ago— that not every relationship has to go down in flames. Danny wanted to believe that was true. And right now, in this room, in this moment, he could believe it. Everything else that had been wrong, that had left him bewildered with the changes thrown at him since Rachel had asked for the divorce was in the past. 

He'd come to Hawaii because of Grace, resentful, angry and very much alone. That was no longer the case. It was past time for him to embrace it rather than shy from it. 

It was time for him to stop being afraid. 

Steve touched his face, cupped his cheek, concern bright in his eyes. "Hey, where did you go?" 

Danny leaned into the caress. "Nowhere, babe. I'm right here, right where I want to be." He realized he meant that. And not just here with Steve, but here in Hawaii. 

Steve gave him one of those loopy smiles that tugged at Danny in ways he never thought possible. 

He let Steve tackle the buttons of his shirt, which left him free to trace his fingers over the intricate artwork inked on Steve's arms. One day he would get the story of what was behind these, but it was one of those things that could wait. For a lazy afternoon after they'd exhausted themselves with sex and watched the rain drip off the eaves. 

Danny liked that thought. 

Steve slid warm hands under the fabric of Danny's shirt, palms gliding over skin to his shoulders. Slowly, as if savoring it, Steve eased the shirt off his shoulders and arms, letting it fall. Danny watched him the entire time, saw the play of emotions as they chased across Steve's eyes. 

He reached up, threaded his fingers into Steve's hair and drew him into a deep lingering kiss. Steve wrapped his arms around him, pulling Danny in tight, the two shifting and moving, circling, like a dance without the music. It was much more intimate than that, much more real as Danny slid his hand down the small of Steve's back, slipping his fingers under the waistband of Steve's pants. 

Steve's breath hitched as they ended the kiss, his eyes wide in the shadows of the room. Danny just smiled, enjoying the easiness of this. There was nothing rushed, nothing being pushed. They were both tired but it didn't seem to matter now. 

They had all the time in the world.

Okay, maybe the reality wasn't quite that, not until they caught Akuini— but still, it was perfect as far as Danny was concerned. 

Steve nuzzled, his breath warm against Danny's skin. Danny would never have thought that Steve was like this— he’d pegged him to be more action and less intimacy but that wasn’t the case. Which couldn’t make him happier. Later, when they knew each other better, he had no doubt there would be times when they just wanted the rough and tumble of sex. 

But this was what Danny enjoyed the most. So he liked foreplay, so what? Apparently Steve did too. 

“God, I love you without a shirt, Danny. I swear I’m gonna make it my mission to get you out of those dress shirts as often as I can.” Steve traced his fingers down Danny’s chest. “I’ve got plans for those ties, too.” He nipped the edge of Danny’s jaw as he unbuttoned Danny’s slacks with surprising ease.

“Do you now? I’ll mark that down—” Danny sucked in a startled breath when Steve pushed his hand inside his pants and cupped his erection. “I never figured you for the playful type, McGarrett.” 

“You have no idea,” Steve whispered, ghosting a kiss on Danny’s cheek before capturing his mouth, stealing his breath with a soft moan. Steve licked his way into Danny’s mouth, Danny giving over to him as he reached up and wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck. 

Steve still palmed his erection, the sensation chasing up Danny’s spine, making him groan and shift against Steve. Danny broke the kiss, trying to catch his breath, resting his forehead on Steve’s shoulder. “God, how could I have gone so long without this?” 

He didn’t realize he’d spoken out loud until Steve nudged him to look at him, those stunning eyes so dark and lust filled in the shadows that played around them. “Not anymore. I won’t let you be alone anymore.” 

It was there in Steve’s eyes, what Danny didn’t think he’d ever have again. Didn’t think he even deserved. How could he have known he’d find it here, with this man of all people? 

Maybe it was too soon to say the words out loud, but it didn’t change what was between them. For months they’d been saying so much to each other, without a voice yet somehow just as loud. And that was okay, Danny realized.

He slid his hands down Steve’s back, felt the play of corded muscle under the smooth skin. He slid the fingers of both hands under the waistband of Steve’s pants as Steve pulled him into an open mouthed kiss. It was hungry and hot and Danny let himself get lost in all of it. 

They had to breathe at some point, Danny wishing they never had to stop. Steve pulled him close, wrapping arms around him as he nuzzled into Danny’s hair. Danny nipped at the base of his neck then kissed the same spot, his hands still under the waistband of Steve’s pants, on his spectacular ass. Danny wanted him out of those pants, wanted to see and experience all that beautiful skin. 

“Too many clothes…” Danny murmured, kissing and nipping at the skin just a few inches above one nipple. “I need you out of those pants.” 

“You too,” Steve started to push Danny’s slacks off his hips. Danny chuckled and undid the buttons of Steve’s before he stepped back enough to finish getting out of his own. Steve just grinned at him with that foolish loopy smile of his, shoving his own pants and boxers down. He stepped out of them with a grace that Danny would never tire of. 

There was nothing between them now, both of them naked. The shadows defined everything on Steve, making him breathtaking and almost unreal to Danny. Steve reached for him, caught his hand, tugged him gently toward the bed. Who was Danny to refuse? 

He followed Steve who laid back, settling between Steve’s legs, his hands on Steve’s chest. Danny wrapped his hand around Steve’s cock, Steve bucking up and digging his fingers into Danny’s arms as he sucked in a deep breath. On his knees, Danny leaned over him, nipping Steve’s bottom lip before pulling him into a hungry kiss. As he did, he rubbed the pad of his thumb over the head of Steve’s leaking cock, feeling Steve shiver under him as he circled just the tip. Danny then ran his thumb down the length of the rock hard shaft. He cupped Steve’s balls, then stroked his fingers over the sensitive skin just behind. 

Steve broke the kiss, panting, hips shifting as he rolled his head back with a deep groan. “God, Danny—”

“Hmmm?” Danny nipped and kissed his way down Steve’s chest. He licked over one nipple as he still stroked and pressed his fingers just behind Steve’s balls. 

“Danny—” Steve’s hips came right off the bed when Danny pressed against just the right spot. 

He licked a circle around the same nipple then blew lightly over the damp skin. 

“Danny, there’re condoms—” Steve’s breath hitched when Danny lightly sucked on the nipple. “There’re condoms and supplies in the bedside stand,” he finally managed. 

Danny paused, a little startled, realizing what Steve said. He was perfectly okay with what they’d been doing up to this point. He stopped what he was doing, ignoring the hiss Steve gave when he did and reached up, cupping his cheek, making Steve look at him. 

“You understand what you’re saying?” Danny caught Steve’s gaze. 

“Yeah, I do, Danny. I want to, don’t you?”

Well yeah, when it all boiled down to it, Danny was a guy and uh huh, sure… but that didn’t mean he should— they should. 

Danny stroked his thumb over Steve’s cheek. “Yeah, I do. You want to top? I don’t mind either way.” 

But Steve shook his head, eyes large and dark as looked at him. “No, I don’t.”

Danny opened his mouth to say maybe this round it would be a better idea that Steve should top but Steve surged up, pressing his mouth over Danny’s, swallowing the words as he pulled Danny down on top of him. Danny nearly lost his mind with the way Steve could kiss and right now it was a no prisoners all hands on deck kind of kiss that stole all reason. 

When they parted, Danny was now the breathless one. Steve just smiled at him, running one hand over Danny’s hair. 

The decision had been made. Danny leaned over and opened the bedside stand drawer, fumbling for a moment before pulling out a couple of condoms and a bottle. He glanced at the bottle to make sure it wasn’t some flavored massage oil or something Steve and Cath used. 

Tossing them on the blanket beside them, Danny got off of Steve. “On your side, babe. We’re not gonna rush this.” Steve gave him a curious look but rolled over, looking back over his shoulder at Danny. 

Danny spooned in behind him, stroking his hand down Steve’s flank. He nuzzled and kissed the skin where shoulder met neck, whispering to Steve to relax, they had all night. This was an easy position for both of them and Danny liked being pressed up against the length of Steve like this. The breeze from outside slid over them, cooling the light sheen of sweat they were covered in. 

He found the bottle, liberally slicked the fingers of one hand and then slid them into the crease of Steve’s ass as he continued to nip and kiss Steve’s neck and shoulder. Steve rested back against him, loose and comfortable and drew his knee up without Danny prompting him. 

Danny pushed one finger inside Steve, careful, so Steve could get used to the feel. Steve drew in a deep breath but didn’t say anything. “Doing okay?”

“Uh huh,” Steve panted.

Danny pressed a kiss against the inked skin of Steve’s shoulder, thrusting his finger a few times. Steve groaned with a full body shiver as he pushed back against Danny. 

Danny added another finger, determined he would keep this slow and comfortable. Steve pulled his leg up higher, breathing Danny’s name, pushing back onto Danny’s hand. Danny stayed with that, taking his time, nipping and kissing Steve’s shoulder, whispering encouragement. Steve relaxed, leaning back against Danny. He groaned with another full body shiver when Danny started to stretch him with three fingers. 

“You still okay, babe?” Danny nuzzled against Steve’s neck, pressed a kiss to the edge of his jaw. 

Steve only nodded at first, eyes closed, his breathing a bit ragged. They were both slicked in a fine sheen of sweat as a soft breeze from outside slid over heated skin, feeling like silk. 

“Steve?” 

“No, I’m good, Danny,” Steve rasped out. 

Danny pushed his fingers deep, brushing against Steve’s prostate and that earned him a sharp inhale of breath as Steve arched back against him. 

“God, Danny!” 

“Feel good?” Danny nosed behind Steve’s ear, then nipped him there. 

“You have to ask?” He inhaled sharply again when Danny brushed over that spot. “Oh God, I didn’t know…” Steve panted. 

Danny smiled, then nipped at the inked skin of Steve’s bicep. Feeling Steve was more than ready, he eased his fingers free, Steve giving a soft moan of protest. 

“It’s okay. Just give me a minute here, babe.” Danny levered himself up enough to half sit as he took one of the foil packets. Steve stayed where he was, but watched Danny over his shoulder as Danny rolled the condom on and then slicked himself liberally with more lube. 

Spooning back in behind Steve, Danny positioned himself. “Pull your leg up, Steve, and relax against me.” Steve did but Danny could feel some tension across the broad shoulders and back. He kissed the nape of Steve’s neck, nuzzling at his hair. “Look at me, Steven.”

It wasn’t the ideal position but still, Steve turned his head enough to look at Danny and Danny captured his gaze. Holding it, holding Steve, Danny guided himself to Steve’s entrance. Careful, he pushed just enough inside before he thrust deeper and held still, waiting on Steve, making sure he was okay. 

Steve never looked away from him, eyes wide and filled with a riot of emotions. There was so much going on there but above all was his trust. Trust that Danny would take care of him. 

Danny leaned in, captured Steve’s mouth in a tender kiss, Steve opening to him in surrender. Danny swept his tongue in even as he shifted and thrust again, this time penetrating deep. Steve broke the kiss with a gasp, arching back against Danny. Danny stayed with him, stroking his hand down Steve’s side to his hip.

“I hurt you?”

“No, oh god, Danny, no— Christ, you feel so good…” Steve found Danny’s hand, squeezed it. “Like nothing else before, I swear!” 

Danny kissed his shoulder as he slid his arm under Steve’s leg, taking the weight for him. “Damn, Steve, you feel so damn amazing.” It had been so long since he’d done this, Steve so hot and tight around his cock. Danny wasn’t sure how long he could make this last. 

He pulled back and thrust deep again, Steve pushing back against him with a deep groan. Danny nipped and kissed him at the top of Steve’s spine, at the nape of his neck as he set up a slow, comfortable rhythm. Steve moved easily with him, panting with a soft moan with each penetrating glide of Danny’s cock deep inside him. 

With every two or three thrusts, Danny would shift and hit Steve’s prostate and Steve would buck and arch against him with a hiss, crying out Danny’s name, his body clenching around Danny’s cock. 

Steve worked his own cock in time to Danny’s thrusts. He’d buck into his hand, then back on Danny. They were both covered in sweat, hair damp, Steve’s skin hot and slick against Danny’s. Steve’s movements started to become jerky, Danny feeling the change. 

“Danny—“

“You close, babe?” Danny whispered against his ear, nuzzled into the damp hair. 

“God yes, god, Danny, feels amazing—”

With a sharp thrust, Danny seated himself deep, buried to the balls inside Steve and held himself there, Steve straining back against him with a keening sound. “Come, Steve, come for me…” Danny breathed. 

Steve jerked, clenching around Danny, his whole body shaking as he came, crying Danny’s name. Danny shifted his weight up on one elbow and using the leverage, thrust hard and quick, fucking Steve through his orgasm. It didn’t take much for him to then follow Steve over the edge, coming so hard his vision grayed at the edges. 

When Steve slumped against him, his breathing ragged, his body still shaking, Danny held him close, resting his forehead against Steve’s shoulder blade. The blood roared in his ears, Danny swallowing and trying to catch his breath. He lowered Steve’s leg and slid his knee over Steve’s hip, still buried inside him.

A soft wind, smelling of the ocean and citrus, slid over them. 

Okay, wow. Like W-O-W wow. 

It had been so long, too long for this. Jerking yourself off for the release was one thing, something Danny had gotten used to. But this? This— this was beyond words. 

Danny softly kissed Steve’s shoulder, still holding him close as he tried to settle his breathing and scattered thoughts. Steve remained silent, his body shivering as if cold. 

“Steve,” Danny shifted being careful, mindful that he may have hurt him. Steve caught his breath, still saying nothing when Danny rolled away from him long enough to deal with the condom. But he was right back against Steve, remembering the first time they’d made love and the fear in Steve’s voice and eyes when he thought Danny was leaving him then. “Steve, babe, hey…” Danny nudged Steve over onto his back. Steve’s eyes were closed. “Steve, look at me.” Danny cupped Steve’s face.

Steve drew in a deep breath before finally opening his eyes and meeting Danny’s gaze. Those handsome eyes were a dark shade of blue gray in the shadows as he blinked and looked back at Danny. 

“Hey,” Danny brushed his thumb over Steve’s lips, giving him a gentle smile. 

“Hey,” Steve managed, his voice rough. He reached up, framing Danny’s face and smiled. “Sweet Christ, Danny, I’ve never felt like this.” 

“Yeah?” Danny leaned down, pressed a soft kiss to Steve’s lips. “I guess that makes two of us.” 

Steve’s smile changed to that wonderful loopy grin as he ran his fingers into Danny’s messy hair. He looked like he wanted to say something, Danny could see it in his eyes but it hung in the air between them, unsaid yet understood. Steve tugged Danny down for another kiss, then pulled Danny down on top of him. 

Danny settled against him, head on Steve’s shoulder as Steve wrapped his arm around Danny, keeping him close. He nuzzled into Danny’s hair. “Please, Danny, please tell me you aren’t leaving.”

Danny sighed and shook his head, snuggling closer to Steve if that was at all possible, feeling spent and warm and comfortable. “No, I’m not going anywhere, babe, I promise.” He hadn’t felt this good in years. And although he wasn’t ready to say it out loud, afraid if he did it would change everything, he couldn’t help feeling loved. 

Maybe it wouldn’t last but for now, he’d grab onto it with both hands because he honestly didn’t know any other way.


	16. Chapter 16

It was Danny who woke before Steve. It took him a long moment to remember where he was and that he wasn’t alone, then Steve shifted behind him and Danny sat up. 

Steve was sprawled, face down, dead to the world. What happened only hours before came back to Danny with surprising clarity. God, he hoped they hadn’t taken this too far too soon. He pushed his hands through the wreck of his hair. 

He wasn’t sure how Steve was going to feel when he woke up. It had been amazing sex, no two ways around it. Steve was an incredible partner but this was more than hand and blow jobs. This had moved up to the next level and there was no going back. 

Danny eased out of bed and found his boxers. Outside the sun was barely coloring the horizon. He had brought a couple changes of clean clothes but they were still in the trunk of his car. He went downstairs into the kitchen, started some coffee, then went outside. 

The cooler pre-dawn air felt like silk against his bare skin. 

Steve’s house sat back off the road enough that Danny didn’t worry about giving the neighbors a show. He still only had his boxers on as he popped the trunk and found the duffle bag he’d tossed back there. He’d never do this back in New Jersey but, he reminded himself, he wasn’t in Newark anymore. 

He sensed _something_ , causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up and he carefully reached for the rifle he kept buried in the back of the trunk. He slipped the safety off before turning, keeping one hand on the rifle but out of sight. There wasn’t anyone there, but Danny couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. He glanced at the closest neighbor but the windows were dark. 

The breeze played though the palms, teasing at the fronds. Everything remained cast in shadows, it still being false dawn. Cautious and hoping he was being a bit paranoid, Danny took the rifle and moved a couple steps down the driveway until he had a clear view of the street. 

A dark sedan was parked on the far side, across from the driveway. Despite the shadows of the pre-dawn hour, Danny could make out at least two figures in the front seat. The sedan then slowly eased back out of his sight. 

Fucking FBI. 

Swearing under his breath that he’d had more than enough of having his privacy invaded; Danny put the rifle away, took the clothes out and slammed the trunk down. He was about to storm back into the house when he thought better of it. Putting the duffle bag on the hood of the Camaro, Danny walked out to the end of Steve’s driveway, still wearing nothing but his boxers. 

And there sat the car, having moved only a hundred yards or so down the street. Danny spread his arms wide and did a complete turn. “Make sure you get a good picture of this!” he snapped as he dragged his hand through the mop of his hair. “It’s good to know where my tax dollars are going! I’m sure the governor will love to see this!”

With that he went back to the house, grabbing the duffle off the car and slamming the door behind him, still swearing. 

Steve came in from the kitchen, coffee mug in hand, hair sleep tousled. “What’s going on?”

“Damn FBI was camped out at the end of your driveway.” Danny waved back at the door. “So I made sure they got a clear shot of me.”

“Sweet Jesus, Danny, please tell me you didn’t—“

“I had my boxers on, for the love of God, Steve!”

Steve went to the window, one knee on the couch as he peered out. 

“I’m sure they left.” Danny went into the kitchen, swallowing his anger. Steve had put another mug out and Danny filled it, muttering under his breath. This was not how he wanted the day to start. 

Steve stood in the doorway, looking, well, delicious— Danny couldn’t help thinking. This he wouldn’t mind waking up to every morning. Steve was nothing short of beautiful. 

And he let the anger slip away. Sipping the coffee, he rested back against the counter, watching Steve through narrowed eyes. 

“You okay?” Steve came the rest of the way in, setting his mug aside on the counter. 

“I should be asking you that.” Danny glanced away, suddenly feeling unsure. 

“Me? What makes you say that?” Steve came up to him, touching Danny’s shoulder, brushing his fingers down his arm. 

Danny finally looked up, meeting Steve’s eyes, letting himself get caught up in the other man’s gaze. He saw when it clicked in Steve’s mind. 

“Danny, what’s wrong?” 

“I just want to make sure that you don’t regret this. I thought maybe I pushed too hard, took this where you weren’t ready yet.” 

“I was more than ready, Danny.” Steve reached up, cupped Danny’s face with one hand, still holding his gaze. 

Danny closed his eyes and leaned into the simple caress. God how he missed this— the simplicity of being touched by a lover. Steve leaned in, brushing his lips over Danny’s. 

“You have no idea how badly I want to take you back to bed, but…” The regret in Steve’s voice echoed Danny’s.

“We’ve got to get to work.” Danny wanted this case over with. Wanted to spend a long couple of days with no cell phones and no clothes between them. 

“What are the chances we could slip away somewhere when we wrap this up?” Steve nuzzled his hair, pressed a kiss to Danny’s temple. “Just for a couple days? I want to know about you, learn about you, just love you without our lives and who we are hanging over our heads.”

“I was just thinking that. Let’s talk about it after we finish with the case, okay?” Danny slid his fingers over the tattoo on Steve’s right arm before pressing a kiss there. “I think it would be good for us.”

***

When they got to the office, Steve had a few phone calls to make that had nothing to do with the case. They did have to do with the FBI camped out at the bottom of his driveway because Danny was there. And although Danny admitted he didn’t see a camera, Steve had no doubt they were there to try and get more ammunition.

It didn’t work with the governor but Steve was still an officer in the Navy, even if it was the Reserves. There had been talk, off and on, about dumping DADT and letting gays serve openly in the military— but it hadn’t happened yet which meant that Steve could lose his entire military career over this. 

The FBI could take what they had to the Navy. It wasn’t much, yet it could be enough to cause Steve a boatload of grief. But he’d be damned if he let a pair of bigots in suits threaten him with a few pictures that weren’t even all that revealing. 

Steve could spin it to make it out to be something else entirely if he had to. 

He looked up, glancing through the glass of his office to see Danny talking with Kono, hands in motion, totally animated in that unique way that was all Danny. He had Kono’s complete attention, but then it was hard not pay attention to Danny when he got going. Steve had no idea what the two were talking about but Kono suddenly smiled and shook her head, her long hair spilling over her bare shoulders. 

Danny glanced over his shoulder as if somehow sensing Steve was watching him. He looked good in his dark blue shirt and striped tie, the cut snug across his shoulders and chest. Memories of what happened last night jumped across Steve’s thoughts. Danny gave him a curious look but Steve smiled and nodded before returning his attention to his desk. 

Now wasn’t the time to think about how good it felt to have Danny in his bed. It wasn’t just about the sex although that had been over the top. Steve had had more than his fair share of lovers, all female of course. But he never felt he could connect and often felt more alone than anything else. There had always been something missing even if he would never admit it to himself. 

Yet here was Danny who changed everything and Steve had never felt more alive. 

He wasn’t about to let the FBI turn this into something ugly, not if he had any say in it. 

He needed to speak to Sergeant Lukela, who Steve liked a great deal. He was a stand up guy that Steve knew he could trust. 

There was no love lost between the local law enforcement and the FBI. If they wanted to sneak around taking pictures, Steve would see to it they would be harassed by the HPD at every opportunity. 

Let’s see how the FBI dealt with that. 

***

By midmorning, Greg Akuini’s picture and information were out over the entire island. It was going to be very hard for him to get anywhere without someone recognizing him and calling HPD or Five-0. The state troopers were understandably not happy that it was one of their own. But Steve and Danny, with a little help from the governor, were able to smooth things over. 

In the end, they all wanted the same thing— for the shootings to stop. 

Danny was glad Jamison had arranged the meeting. She kept things from getting out of hand. He and Steve weren’t there to point fingers, only to say they knew who it was, that he was former military and now a state trooper and could they please have their cooperation? 

Within an hour after the meeting, Greg Akuini’s complete personnel file was hand delivered by the barracks’ commander to their offices. 

Now the local news media had something to chew on besides law enforcement’s inability to stop the mayhem that the Honolulu sniper created. 

It would just be a matter of time before someone spotted Akuini and they were alerted. Danny hoped their luck had finally changed and that maybe by the end of the day, they’d have Akuini in custody. 

Danny didn’t want to think about what would be next for Akuini once they had him. 

***

Danny relaxed against the side of the Camaro in the shade, arms crossed as he watched the tourists and surfers enjoying a pretty afternoon on the beach in Waikiki. A light breeze teased at his hair as a pair of pretty blond girls roller skated past him wearing very short shorts, bikini tops and smiles. As they skated away, he noticed the matching tattoos on their lower backs and shook his head. 

He’d never seen so much body art in his life until he moved here. 

Several college kids played football on the beach in front of him, their laughter as bright as the afternoon sun. They had a leggy dog that raced between them, trying to steal the ball. A bad throw was all the opportunity he needed and it was off to the races as the mutt streaked down the beach, the kids shouting and running after him. Danny couldn’t help smiling as the dog led them on a merry chase with his prize. 

He spotted Rachel as she walked down the sidewalk. She always looked beautiful, he couldn’t help thinking. Today she was in a pretty, bright colored dress that left her shoulders bare, her dark hair loose. The livid bruise on her cheek looked better, although Danny was sure makeup did a lot to help with that. 

She gave him a quiet smile as he met her, taking her hand. She let him sweep her hair off her face as she met his gaze. “Hey. Thanks for coming out and meeting me.”

“It wasn’t a problem, Danny. I needed to get out of the house anyway.” She let him lead her over to a nearby food vendor where he ordered and paid for a pair of iced teas. 

“How’s Grace?”

“She’s doing better. You should call her tonight.”

"I will." 

They sat at one of the public picnic tables in the shade of the palms, sipping their tea. The football stealing dog galloped by, still with his prize, trailing half a dozen laughing and shouting coeds in his wake. Several surfers glided along the sparkling waves while others bobbed like bright colored bath toys. 

It was another beautiful and normal day in Hawaii, if not for the shadow of the sniper lurking over all of them. 

“I saw on the news this morning that you know who the sniper is.” She watched as Danny ran his finger along the rim of his plastic cup. “Danny, what’s wrong?”

He glanced out at the surfers before looking at Rachel, suddenly feeling awkward and off balance. “Has the FBI tried to contact you?”

“The FBI?” She looked at him with confusion in her dark eyes. “About our being shot at on the highway?” 

“No, no, it doesn’t have anything to do with that.” Danny shook his head, feeling foolish but the last thing he wanted was for the FBI to blindside her the way they had the governor. “It’s about Matty.”

“What on earth could they think I would know?” She studied Danny for a long moment, the wind playing with her hair. “Danny, what aren’t you telling me? What’s this about?”

Time to suck it up and put it out there. Christ, this wasn’t exactly how he wanted to broach this with Rachel— that he was in a relationship. 

With another man. 

And it was Steve. 

“They’ve been camped in the parking lot outside my apartment. They’ve also been following me around, taking pictures.” He sucked in a deep breath, pushing his hands through his hair. “They think they can pressure me into telling them where Matty is.”

“Pressure you? With what?”

“I’m seeing somebody, Rachel.” There, he said it. Sort of. 

She blinked, then sat back, studying Danny with those dark eyes. “Is it Steven?”

Danny's mouth fell open. Sweet Jesus, had it been that obvious even before he knew it? “Um, yeah— it’s Steve. Rachel, we only just started this, seriously just started this. They got a couple of pictures of Steve and me on the beach the other night— nothing salacious but it’s pretty obvious. The bastards took them to the governor, trying to shock her with the revelation. I just didn’t want them to blindside you with this. I thought it should come from me first.” He ran out of steam and ducked his head. 

She laid her hand over his and he glanced up. She gave him a gentle smile. 

“I’m glad to hear it from you first.” She squeezed his hand. “And it was long past time for you to see that Steven has been in love with you for quite a while now.” 

Danny turned his hand over, lacing their fingers together. “I’m not ready for this, Rachel.”

“Yes you are. You deserve to be happy, Danny.” 

He got up enough to lean over the table and kiss her on the cheek. “Thank you. This wasn’t how I wanted you to find out but thank you.”

“You’ll need to sit down with Grace, and soon.”

“We need to clear this case first, but I promise I will.” His cell phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket, seeing Steve’s name on the ID. “I’m sorry, I got to take this.”

***

Akuini had been spotted by a parking attendant. 

Danny parked between Steve’s truck and Chin’s car. Steve tossed him a vest as Danny came around to the back of the truck. Kono and Chin already had theirs on. Chin had his usual shotgun and Kono a seriously heavy duty rifle. Danny finished strapping his vest on as he regarded the choice of weapons they’d brought from headquarters. 

They were outside a construction site where Akuini was seen going inside. It being a Saturday, there were no workers on site, which would make things a lot easier for them. 

This building would give Akuini a clear vantage point of the H1. 

“HPD and the state troopers are closing down the freeway as we speak,” Steve told Danny as he decided on the rifle he’d be most comfortable with. He’d already pocketed a couple extra clips for his pistol. 

“That’s going to be a big tip off.” Danny made his choice and picked up the rifle, sliding the strap over his shoulder. 

“Press is here.” Kono tied her hair back in a simple ponytail. 

“Oh joy, just what we need— the take down live on everyone’s TV,” Danny muttered, shaking his head.

“Chin, have Duke get some uniforms to move the crowds back at least another block. Especially the media.”

“Copy that, boss.” Chin took off at a trot to find Lukela. 

“They’re probably on the rooftops or in some of these buildings, too.” Danny waved his hand at the office buildings and hotels lining the street. 

“SWAT will clear the rooftops as they’ll be using them for vantage points. Can’t do anything about the rest.” Steve finished checking his choice of weapons. He glanced up when Chin re-joined them.

“Okay, so what’s the plan here? That’s a lot of open real-estate up there.” Danny put his ear piece in. 

“Commander McGarrett!” Lukela approached leading two men. One, a tall well built man reminded Danny of Stan Edwards. He had that look of money about him. The other, a few inches shorter and built like a football player, was clearly of the local heritage. They both looked anxious with the second man carrying a large tube of what Danny guessed to be blueprints. “Commander, this is Ted Owens, the owner of the building. And Toni Hakuole, the site foreman.”

Both men reached out, offering and shaking hands with Danny and Steve.

“Commander, whatever we can do to help you and your team.” Owens spoke first, bright green eyes clouded with worry. “I had Toni bring the blueprints, hoping they might be of use.”

“We’ll take all the help we can get, gentlemen, thank you.” Steve led them over to Danny’s car and they spread the plans out across the hood. 

“This is a fifteen story building, Commander, but it’s just a shell right now, wide open to everything. As you can see, no walls, no windows.” Hakuole flipped the pages until he found what he wanted. “There are stairs and two freight elevators— one here on the south side and the other on the west.” Hokuole indicated the stairs and then the elevators on the plans. 

“What is powering all of this, generators?” Danny waved in the direction of the building. 

“Yes, but we shut those down and secure them when the site is quiet.” Hokuole ran his hand through his dark hair. “We have a security guard and I’ve already spoken to him— the power is still off so your man has to be using the stairs.”

“Okay, we need access in case we need those elevators back online.”

“That’s not a problem, Commander.” 

“Sergeant, have Mr. Hokuole escorted by a couple of SWAT, just to be on the safe side, to those generators.”

Owens left with Hokuole and Lukela, leaving Steve, Danny, Chin and Kono studying the blueprints. 

“This is how we’ll play it. I want HPD to clear the first eight floors and secure them. Kono, Chin, you two take the west elevator and start at the roof and work your way down. Danny, we’ll start on nine and work our way up. We clear these floors one at a time and find him. Stay in contact, I want to know where you are at all times.”

“Got it, boss,” Kono and Chin both echoed. 

“Remember, Akuini feels he has nothing to lose at this point— he’s lost the most important things to him. He’s not thinking rationally, so be careful, understood?”

Everyone nodded. 

Word came in that the highway was officially closed and cleared as well as all surface streets within a ten block radius. 

“Okay, let’s do this!” Steve ordered.


	17. Chapter 17

Danny ducked behind a pile of building supplies, debris scattering over him from the bullet that nearly took his head off. Pistol gripped in both hands, he glared at Steve who sat on the ground, back pressed against a stack of cinder blocks he used as protection. They'd come up the steps only to be ambushed, Steve ducking and rolling one way while Danny bailed in the other direction. 

Now they were separated and Akuini had them both pinned down. 

Another shot made Danny flinch when more concrete shards rained down on him. 

In the scramble to get to cover, he'd had lost his rifle, leaving him with only his service weapon. He wasn't exactly happy with himself as he muttered under his breath about getting into this situation to begin with. 

Steve caught his attention, holding up a canister in his hand. They had worked together long enough that Danny didn't need Steve to explain what he had planned. He nodded to Steve who smoothly tossed the flashbang over to him. 

Akuini took a shot at both of them but Danny easily caught the canister. Steve already had another in his hand, silently unwinding the tape. Steve turned, getting on his knees and nodded to Danny. 

"Sergeant Akuini!" Danny shouted, still holding Steve's gaze. "Why don't we talk about this, huh? I'm Detective Williams and my partner over there is Commander McGarrett! We're Five-0, but I'm betting you already had that figured out!"

A shot hit the ceiling above Danny, showering him in debris. It was quickly followed by another in Steve's direction that exploded one of the cinder blocks on top of the pile, the pieces coming down on Steve. 

"Akuini!" Steve scrambled back from the falling chunks of concrete. "You don't want to do this, Sergeant! This isn't what your wife and daughter would want! Put the rifle down and let us take you in! No one else has to die here!" 

There was no answer, not even another shot aimed at either of them. Steve gave Danny a puzzled look. Danny only shook his head. 

"Akuini!" Danny tried but they were greeted with only the sound of the wind as it whipped though the open construction. With another glance at Steve, Danny cautiously peered around the stacked bags, boxes and spools of cabling only to duck back when Akuini fired a pair of shots at him. 

"Son of a—" Danny snapped, rolling back behind cover. Steve reared up, tossing the flashbang, following it up with several rounds. The noise made Danny's ears ring even though he covered them with his hands. 

Steve disappeared, apparently using the confusion and noise to make a run on Akuini. Danny scrambled to his feet, ears still ringing as he looked around him. Smoke from the flashbang drifted and billowed, obscuring his vision.

He spotted his lost rifle, only a few yards away. Glancing quick over his shoulder, he ducked and rolled, grabbing it. He then fetched up against a support pillar, trying to locate Steve.

There was a volley of rifle fire mixed with the slightly sharper sound of a pistol, but Danny still couldn't see anything.

"McGarrett! Steve— you okay?"

"Danny! Over here!"

Danny focused on Steve's voice. The smoke started to clear thanks to the wind blowing through and Danny spotted a figure on the ground, half sitting up. Swallowing down a spike of fear, he ran over and dropped to one knee beside Steve.

"See you recovered your rifle." Steve held his right hand over his left bicep, blood leaking between his fingers and trailing down the arm.

"Son of a bitch, McGarrett! I gotta get you to cover!" Danny glanced around the floor, expecting Akuini to pop up at any moment putting both of them in his sights.

"He's gone," Steve hissed through his teeth. "He went up!"

"Damn it," Danny muttered under his breath. "Let me see." Laying the rifle down and holstering his pistol, Danny yanked at his tie and stripped it off. "How bad did he get you?"

"It's not that bad." Steve let Danny look at the graze. 

_"Danny! Steve! What's the situation?"_ Chin came over the comm link as Danny started to wrap his tie around Steve's arm. 

"We're okay! Steve got winged but we got it under control!" Danny tightened and knotted off the material, Steve wincing but saying nothing. "Akuini's on the move, he's heading up!"

 _"Copy that!"_

"Looks like he missed all your pretty artwork, babe. Which is good for him because I would be seriously pissed if he messed that up." Danny got to his feet, extending his hand to help Steve. 

"Oh, and here I thought it was because you ruined a perfectly nice tie." Steve shook his head and let Danny haul him up. 

"Which reminds me— you owe me a new one."

"He knows what he's doing." 

Steve retrieved his pistol while Danny stripped and checked his clip. Pocketing it, Danny pulled a fresh one and re-loaded. "I don't think he has any intention of coming out of this alive." 

"I'm thinking the same thing."

***

Dusk was coming in, lengthening the shadows and making it harder by the minute to see. This was not what Danny liked although he had to admit, being able to stick to the shadows had advantages. Still, it would be outright dark soon and then what would they be doing?

The wind buffeted him, playing havoc with his hair, tearing at his slacks and the parts of his dress shirt not under his vest. He stood now, his back pressed against a cinder block wall and holding his recovered rifle. Off on the horizon, he saw flashes and recognized it for lightning. 

Oh joy, they had a storm sweeping in. 

They'd lost Akuini about twenty minutes ago. Steve was sure the guy somehow got past them and was now on a lower level. Danny wasn't so convinced but he would concede that Steve was likely the better tactician when it came to this. And Akuini did have a military background before coming to the state troopers. 

Steve appeared by his side, rifle gripped in both hands, back pressed to the wall beside Danny. Danny glanced at him only to have Steve silently shake his head. No joy— Akuini wasn't on this floor. Swallowing his frustration, Danny glanced up at the ceiling but Steve shook his head again. 

Okay, that meant they were going back down. Kono and Chin were still a couple floors up. They'd exchanged fire with Akuini shortly after Steve and Danny had but then Akuini slipped away after pinning the cousins in a stairwell. 

Steve held up his hand, counting to three with his fingers before they both ducked out from behind the wall. They were met with only the wind as they surveyed the open floor. 

The darkness was making it more and more difficult to see by the minute. A clap of thunder made Danny flinch as Steve silently motioned him to head for the east side stairs. There were a lot of places to hide on this floor and Danny hoped they didn't miss anything. Steve circled toward the north stairs, rifle up as he swept the area. 

When the storm got here, it would swallow up the last of the daylight in a hurry. 

Danny paused by the open staircase. There weren't any handrails, just the temporary wooden construction steps for worker access. Danny, still covering Steve, glanced down into the gathering gloom. 

The storm rolled in with a damp wind washing over Danny. Thunder boomed low, heralding the rain that would be here within moments. Danny lost track of Steve, shadows swallowing everything up. Something tickled at his thoughts, raising the hairs on the back of Danny's neck. 

Lightning streaked across the sky, bathing everything in stark relief. Danny saw Akuini rising from the other stairs, rifle trained on Steve. 

"STEVE! GET DOWN!" 

Another flash of lightning came on the heels of the first with a sharp crack of thunder. Danny saw Steve leap and roll for cover. Akuini shifted his aim in the same breath, Danny finding himself in the man's sights before they were plunged back into inky darkness. He heard the report— the crack of the rifle with a hard punch to his chest. The force threw him back, knocked the breath from his lungs, sharp pain blossoming. Danny dropped his weapon from hands gone numb as his vision grayed. He stumbled and teetered on the edge of the stairs before he lost his balance and tumbled backwards into nothing. 

***

Even with the roar of the oncoming storm, Steve heard the distinctive "thunk" of someone being shot, heard Danny's strangled gasp then what sounded like something crashing down the steps. 

"DANNY!" Steve was already up on his knees, unloading a clip's worth of ammo at the spot he'd last seen Akuini. The skies opened up and the rain came down in torrents, sheeting down the sides of the building, the wind blasting it across the open spaces. Steve was soaked in a matter of seconds as he threw himself down flat on his back on the floor. He stripped and tossed the empty clip and reloaded without thinking. "DANNY!"

Lightning blazed the floor bright as day for a couple of heart stopping breaths, Steve looking for Akuini but not seeing him. He plunged back into darkness, rolling left just in time. Akuini shot up where Steve had lain just a moment ago, concrete shrapnel biting into Steve's arm and neck. He kept rolling, then scrambled and dove behind a pile of supplies just as another bolt of lightning lit up the area. 

He shoved up against the stacked bags of plaster, breathless, blood trickling from new cuts. 

"Chin, Kono!" he called into the comm link. He couldn't stay where he was, Akuini would figure out quick where he'd gone. 

_"Boss!"_ Kono's voice sounded breathless. "What's going on?"

"Danny's hit— I don't know how bad! He fell down the east side staircase!"

 _"What floor are you on?"_ Chin asked as Steve got up and made a run for a cinder block wall that wasn't quite five feet tall. He bailed over it, then rolled to one edge. 

"I’m on ten!" 

_"Copy that! We're on the way!"_ Chin acknowledged. 

Steve steadied his breathing, waiting for the next flash of lightning. He needed to keep moving to keep ahead of Akuini. He wanted, _needed_ to get to Danny, but there wasn't anything he could do for the time being. Akuini had him trapped but good. Steve prayed that Danny took the hit in the vest. He'd be sore, maybe even have some broken bones, but he'd be alive. Provided he didn't break his neck on the fall down the damned stairs. Steve couldn't let himself think otherwise. Instead he focused on Danny being alive and spitting mad. Steve needed to hold onto that image. 

The rain spilled down the sides of the building in curtains, the wind buffeting through it, spraying it everywhere. Steve scrubbed his face with one hand, ignoring the throbbing pain in his left arm still bandaged with Danny's tie. 

Lightning flashed bright as day, Steve catching a glimpse of Akuini. They were dropped back into blackness with Steve on the move. He took several shots, in the direction he'd seen the other man, Akuini shooting back before Steve fetched up against a support pillar. 

The comm link keyed twice. That meant that Chin and Kono were now here on the same floor. Thunder cracked so close, Steve covered his ears. He swore he could feel the concrete under him tremble with the force. Lightning bathed the area then left them in utter darkness in the space of the same breath. 

Ears still ringing from the crashing thunder, Steve made a dash for a stack of cabling and boxes. He rolled and shouldered up to Chin who dove in from the other side, shotgun in both hands. "Hey!" Steve breathed, shaking sweat and rainwater out of his hair and eyes. "Glad you could join the party!" 

***

Danny came to slowly, biting back a deep groan. He felt like he'd been hit by a bus, every part of him screaming in pain. He couldn't remember where he was, why he was here and hurting so much he wanted to weep. He somehow managed to push himself onto his back but that proved to be a huge mistake when he couldn’t catch his breath, his chest feeling like it was on fire. 

He started to panic, his vision tunneling and graying. 

"Danny, Danny, calm down, short breaths, okay, short breaths!" Cool hands framed his face. In the small part of his mind that still could reason, he recognized Kono's voice. "Hush, okay, short breaths, Danny!" 

What was going on? Where the hell were they? Why couldn't he catch his breath for fuck's sake?

"Danny! Focus on me!" Kono's face was only inches from his, her beautiful eyes large and filled with worry. "Focus on me— breathe with me!" She still held his face between her hands, her fingers smoothing over his cheeks. Danny found himself calming down with each strangled breath he wheezed. A few more and he felt his chest loosen a little. 

"What happened?" he finally managed. He reached up, wrapping shaky fingers around her wrists. 

"Akuini— we're at the construction site. Remember?"

Danny stared at her, then winced away when lightning flashed bright and dropped them back into darkness. 

It came back to him all at once and he struggled to sit up. "Oh god, Steve! He had Steve in his sights!" He swore under his breath as pain squeezed his chest. 

"He's okay— Danny, take it easy! You took a hit to the chest and went down the stairs, you might have broken something!" Kono braced him as he sat up, lights dancing at the edge of his vision. The wind whipped around them, spraying them with rain as more lightning streaked across the skies. 

Thunder boomed so loud they both ducked their heads, Danny covering his ears and swearing. He managed to catch a shaky breath and glanced at Kono. She was soaked, rain dripping from the tips of her hair. He wasn't much better shape. 

Gunfire erupted above them, Danny easily picking out Chin's shotgun. 

"We need to get out of here," he managed. "We can't stay out in the open like this. If Akuini decides to come down to this level we'll be easy targets." He wasn't saying anything Kono didn't already know. "And I'm babbling, aren't I?"

Kono gave him a quick smile. "I'd be more worried if you weren't." She ran her hands down his legs. "I don't think you broke anything although I wouldn't bet on those ribs. I can't tell with the vest on—"

"Sorry, babe, but the vest and shirt are staying put. Maybe later."

"For the love of god, you are such a flirt, Danny Williams!" Slinging her rifle across her back, she got to her feet, then reached down to help Danny up. 

He struggled against a fresh bout of pain, gasping for breath as Kono wrapped her arm around his waist to try and steady him. 

Lightning flashed and with it another volley of gunfire from above. 

"Danny?"

"I'm okay! Just give me a minute here!" He swayed against her as he fought for his balance, everything tilting around him. His knees started to buckle but Kono held onto him with a surprising amount of strength. For what seemed like forever Danny fought the pain and dizziness, refusing to give in to it. Kono remained right there with him, warm and solid. 

He finally managed a decent breath, followed by another and steadied himself, the lightheadedness slipping away. 

"Better?"

Danny nodded with a weak smile. He patted his hip, realizing he didn't have his service weapon and god only knew where his damned rifle went when he took a header down the stairs. "I don't have a weapon!" 

"Hang on—" Kono glanced behind them to the stairs, but the gloom and shadows made it hard to pick anything out. Lightning bathed everything in brilliance for a long moment before they found themselves wrapped in darkness again. "I think I saw your pistol! Stay put!" She let him go and slipped into the shadows away from the stairs.

The wind gusted, splashing rain over Danny. His hair hung in his eyes, dripping and he slicked it back with shaky hands. He had a headache of monumental proportions coming on fast, just what he didn't need on top of the aches and bruises he now had. 

Another flash of lightning and Danny thought he saw the stock of his rifle half under the steps. He glanced back but couldn't see Kono in the gloom. What the hell, it was only a few steps away. With one hand out in front of him, Danny managed to get to the stairs without stumbling. He knelt down on his good knee, biting back words he'd never use around his daughter, patting the ground in search of the rifle. Damn it, it was right here, he was sure of it! 

He froze when he heard the sound of the bolt and a round being chambered. Lightning flickered, giving Danny just enough time to see Akuini in front of Kono. She had her hands up, head held high as she faced him. 

Akuini didn't not know Danny was there, too. 

Danny's fingers bumped against the smooth wood of the rifle stock. _Thank you, thank you, thank you…_ Danny recited silently as he gathered the weapon to him and turned. 

Thunder boomed low as Danny shifted, still kneeling and sighted in the direction he'd seen Akuini a few moments ago. His eyes were adjusting, picking out the two silhouettes if not much else. 

It was all he needed. 

"Akuini!" 

The other man turned and shot, the bullets ricocheting off the stairs near Danny. Danny returned fire without hesitation and saw Akuini thrown back. 

Stumbling to his feet, Danny staggered over to Akuini's body and knelt. Blood spread and pooled around the body as Danny checked for a pulse. But he already knew the man was dead. 

Kono grabbed the high powered rifle, shoving it hard several yards away. She sank to her knees by Danny who wrapped an arm around her trembling shoulders. 

"It's over," he whispered. 

Steve and Chin came pounding down the steps, Steve's eyes wide as he met Danny's gaze. Danny shook his head once then closed his eyes, tightening his arm around the still shivering Kono. 

Rain dripped from the ledges and steel beams. Thunder muttered and grumbled in the distance, the storm dying down as quickly as it had swept up. Danny closed his eyes when Steve rested his hand on the back of his neck, asking if he and Kono were alright. 

Chin knelt next to the body of Akuini, shaking his head. 

"He wanted this." Danny tightened his arm around Kono as he looked up at Steve. "It was his plan all along." It made Danny sick to think about it, though. He'd do it again, wouldn't hesitate or second guess himself but it didn't make the knowledge any easier. 

"Yeah, he did, Danny. I'm sorry." Steve squeezed his shoulder. "He stopped having a reason to live when his wife died." 

Danny lowered his head, swallowing against the pain and nausea, never feeling more miserable than he did in this moment. 

 

Epilog

 

Danny stood knee deep in the warm water, watching the picture perfect sunset. The ocean was calm with barely a ripple in advance of the oncoming nightfall. The sun hung low in a rich shade of red as a pair of sailboats skipped over the glittering surface. 

It wasn't often, but occasionally, Danny would allow that this was a beautiful place. 

He was still having a hard time accepting it as home, though. 

It had been a couple of weeks since the takedown of Akuini. The array of spectacular bruises were finally starting to fade. And Danny found he didn't need the prescription pain meds over the last few days. The ribs were still tender but it could have been a lot worse. 

He'd had Grace all weekend, only taking her back to her mother a few hours ago. They'd gone walking on one of Waikiki's beaches when she asked if they'd be seeing Uncle Steve. Danny decided that maybe he'd better talk to her about that and picked her up, balancing her on his hip. A week ago, due to his injuries, that would have been nearly impossible. 

His Grace might be all of eight, but she was a smart cookie and certainly perceptive. She didn't seem at all surprised when Danny told her frankly that he and Steve were seeing each other. 

He waited for the barrage of questions but Grace simply rested her head on his shoulder. "Maybe you'll like it here now?" 

Danny smiled and kissed the top of her head. "As long as you're here with me, Monkey, I like it just fine." 

"Not really. You're always sad."

Danny considered that as he continued to carry her, heading back toward the car. "Just homesick, baby." He spotted an empty picnic table blanketed in the shade of the towering palms and set her down on it. "You understand nothing changes here with you and me?"

Grace nodded. "I like Uncle Steve."

"He likes you too, Monkey." 

***

Danny sensed Steve watching him from the lanai. He hadn't told Steve yet that he'd talked to Grace. 

The two had been careful around each other since the shooting and that had been partly Danny's fault. But hell, he'd shot a cop, was banged up enough that he needed prescription pain killers and there was still the mess that his brother left in his wake. 

Now Danny navigated his way into a new relationship. 

Well, up until that fatal night. 

This was the first time he'd come over to Steve's since the shooting. 

Danny just wanted some breathing room. And honestly, he wasn't the most pleasant person to be around when he was in serious pain. He didn't suffer being fussed over very well— much preferring to gut it out alone. It wasn't a macho thing, either. Just Danny long since knowing he wasn't fit for human company. 

Maybe Steve got that because after being brushed off by Danny the next day, he made no other attempts. He instead backed right off and let Danny have his way. 

But the conversation with Grace made Danny realize that it was time to go back to Steve. He didn't have the excuse of the Honolulu Sniper case anymore and the mess with Matty? Well, it was what it was as his father was so fond of saying. Danny would learn to deal with the betrayal over time. 

He told Steve there'd be rules. Danny needed that, needed the security of knowing how to handle this thing between them. He didn't want Steve to lose his commission in the Navy for one thing. And it wasn't that he was ashamed of this, but one simple fact remained on the table— Steve was his boss. 

It was semantics, but still. 

He could admit he was still very much afraid of all of this. But he hated being alone more. Hated lying to himself about how he felt. His insistence on being left alone for a few weeks did show him one thing. He wanted very much to be with Steve. 

Danny heard the soft splash of water then the touch of warm, firm hands on his shoulders. Steve softly kissed the back of his neck and Danny felt the heartache and confusion of the last few weeks drain away. 

"Hey." Steve whispered, nuzzling behind Danny's ear. He eased his arms around Danny in a loose embrace. 

"Hey." Danny closed his eyes and rested back against him. "I'm sorry." 

"Don't be. Not between us. You needed some time." 

"It was never about you— about us." Danny slid his hands over Steve's. 

"I know that." He felt Steve smile. 

"What?"

"Okay, I didn't at first, but Rachel filled me in." 

Danny just shook his head.

"Grace and I talked today. About you and me."

"And?"

"What do you think?" 

They let the silence wrap around them for a while, Danny finding a peace he hadn't know in a very long time. 

Steve kissed his shoulder. "Stay with me tonight." 

***

A soft breeze slid through the dark bedroom and over bare skin.

Danny, arms wrapped around Steve's chest, thrust up into the delicious tight heat of Steve's ass. Steve arched back against him, head back on Danny's shoulder, both of them dripping in sweat. Danny tugged on one nipple as he pushed deep inside Steve with a sharp buck of hips. Steve shuddered, groaning deep in his throat. 

Steve fisted his own cock in time to Danny's thrusts. 

"You close, babe?" Danny nipped Steve's shoulder. 

Steve only nodded, his breath ragged as he licked his lips. 

Danny shifted just enough to change the angle of his next thrust and buried himself to the hilt in one long, penetrating glide. Steve jerked in his arms, gasping and shaking. "Fuck, Danny!"

"That's it." Danny kissed the back of Steve's neck, nuzzling into the damp hair. He pulled back and pushed deep into Steve long and slow, setting a careful rhythm, not wanting to take either of them over the edge just yet. 

Steve responded to each thrust with a groan of Danny's name. He stopped jerking himself, instead covering Danny's hands with his own, giving Danny complete control. 

Danny stopped after a few minutes, resting his forehead against the back of Steve's neck, buried balls deep in that tight heat. Head bowed, hands still over Danny's, Steve shook like a leaf against him. 

"Ready?" Danny whispered, rubbing his cheek over the left shoulder tattoo. 

Steve only nodded once. 

Danny reached down, wrapping Steve's thick cock in his hand. Steve groaned and shifted on Danny's cock, pushing into Danny's fist. Danny ran the pad of his thumb over the head, smearing the leaking fluid. 

"Oh, God, Danny—"

"I got you, babe. Down on your elbows for me." 

Steve only nodded, shifting forward, pushing his face into a pillow, grabbing it with both hands. 

Danny still held Steve's cock. With the position and angle now changed, Danny started fucking Steve again with sharp deep thrusts, hitting Steve's prostate each time. At the same time, he fisted Steve fast and hard, pushing him to climax. 

Steve came hard, spilling over Danny's hand with a shout muffled by the pillow, jerking and trembling. Danny followed him over with a few more thrusts, fingers digging into Steve's hips, lights dancing at the edge of his vision. 

*** 

When they both could think clearly again and made sure they were all right, they decided on a shower. That included some gentle cuddling and nuzzling since neither of them were eighteen and ready for a second round in short order. And Danny's ribs reminded him they weren't quite healed yet. 

The bed remade and smelling of clean sheets, Danny rested against Steve, arm draped over Steve's chest, their legs tangled. Steve sprawled on his back, one arm wrapped around Danny's shoulders, the other back under his head. 

Loose limbed and comfortable, they both looked out of the open doors at the tapestry of stars over the ocean. There was only the thinnest slice of a new crescent moon that hung with the stars. The breeze still played in from the ocean, toying with the curtains, sliding over their skin like soft silk. 

He closed his eyes as Steve absently stroked the tips of his fingers over his shoulder. He'd been so long without this. It wasn't the sex so much, but the gentleness of simply being loved. 

It would take time to believe, to completely and openly trust again like he once did when things were still good between him and Rachel. Before he knew what real despair was all about. But here, right now, wrapped in Steve's embrace, listening to his even breathing in time to the waves of the ocean, Danny could let himself believe he could be happy again. Maybe even whole. 

He didn't believe in God or fate and destiny. He'd simply seen too much as a cop, been hurt too deeply as a man to hold to such intangibles that got other people through tough times. But maybe there had been a reason that he’d found himself here in Hawaii, in this time, in this moment, with Steve McGarrett— a soul just as wounded and lonely as his own. 

Steve turned his head, mouthed a tender kiss on Danny's forehead. "I can practically hear you thinking." His fingers stilled their lazy dance against Danny's skin. "What's on your mind, D?"

Danny shifted and levered himself up on one elbow so he could meet Steve's eyes. He reached up, cupping Steve's face, brushing his thumb gently over the other man's cheek. 

"I think that maybe I’ve finally come home." 

Steve stared at him for a long moment. Then there it was, that sweet and goofy smile that somehow always made Danny's heart flip. And Danny knew it then, more surely than anything else as he leaned in, resting his forehead against Steve's, closing his eyes against the prick of tears. 

"It's been a long time coming, but this, Danny, is where you belong." 

Danny felt one tear slide down his cheek as he swallowed against all the emotions that threatened to sweep over him. He shook his head. 

"No, it's where we both belong."


End file.
